Reconnection
by TheDayYouSaidGoodnight
Summary: In the near future, Zuko claims the throne. He goes to Ba Sing Se and finds things that memories can never be forgotten. Things happen in the verge of weirdness. formerly titled: Sentimental Fire Lord. Sorry for the bad summary!
1. Memories of Ba Sing Se

**Reconnection.  
**by: TheDayYouSaidGoodnight

Alright! I'm starting a new career on Avatar: The Last Airbender. I hope you'll like my first fic. Not exactly professional but that satirical comic romance you guys might like. Read and review please! This is ZuJin….sorry if I'm not going with the mainstream ZuTara/AangTara. Gomen nasai. This is what is inside my idiotic head. Well…this is no one-shot anyway. And please remember that Zuko's hairstyle is the one he used in Book Two…you know…the rugged, jagged, cool bangs and messy rockstar like hair? At least…not an ugly ponytail with a skinhead. Ehh….beware of Zuko's coarse language! This story includes me as mediator between reality and stupidity and I shall refer to myself in third person!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender. If I did……I would force Zuko to marry Jen (or is it Jin?). Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

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Zuko: I heard that! (fire balls)

TDYSG: Jen! Calm down this Prince of the everlasting FLAMES you call Lee (or is it Li?)!

Jen: Li….I mean Zuko…..she was trying a joke. Calm it down. Mwah!

Zuko: (as cool as a cucumber) Well…okay. You owe me something, TheDayYouSaidGoodnight!

TDYSG: Alright, I'll pay for Uncle Iroh's tea cup.

Uncle Iroh: Zukoooooooooooo! Where the f is my teacup?!?!?!?!

Zuko, TDYSG, Jen: Uh-oh! (run)

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Chapter 1: Memories of Ba Sing Se

A few years have passed since the demise of Fire lord Ozai. The Fire Nation had no other option but to bring back the two whom they called traitors. Uncle Iroh was already very old and sick but Zuko was still the prince-traitor with a scar that he is…except that he HAD changed.

After a change of heart in Lake Laogai, he had a pact with Avatar Aang, Sokka, Katara, Momo, Toph and Appa. They had soon become allies. At least Uncle Iroh prepares tea for them even in any temperature, hot or cold. As they returned like heroes to the Fire Nation, Zuko's head was adorned soon enough with the crown of the Fire Lord. Soon, as he came, all the ladies of the Fire Nation were drooling.

"I didn't know that the prince-traitor was that handsome! I wish that we had never thrown him out….I wish….ahhhhh…." one noblewoman sighed, "Shut up, bitch, he's mine!" another lady said.

Who wouldn't be smitten? The new Fire Lord was tall and had a strong build. His features were proportional and was worthy of being painted by the best artists. His hair was straight and black, with such unruly, sharp but very manly (I'm referring to his hairstyle in Book 2). Even with a scar in one of his eyes, the other eye, colored gold and filled with such power and determination, was deep and were the windows to his soul. He is also an accomplished firebender but martial arts were on the same level of expertise.

From that day onward, he had signed peace treaties from all corners of the world and soon, the elements have lived in peace. After all those tiring treaties and banquets, FL Zuko had decided to take a little break in Ba Sing Se but he decided to take the Avatar and his "idiots" with him. He went to Aang in the Air Nation who was with his friends.

Katara had decided to lose the ponytail but held on to the braids. Sokka still had the wolf tail and still had 0 I.Q., Toph was still strong and uhm….blind, but still a kind and ambitious girl. Appa had stayed to be that useful sky bison that he had been.

"Hey, Aang, let's unwind a bit. You know, the peace treaties, the banquets, I'm gonna be sore from all the scoots. I'm going to Ba Sing Se….Wanna come?" asked Zuko with a weary moan, "Well, if you'll allow me to bring Katara, Sokka, Appa and Toph!" the Avatar, who had grown up yet still perky and funny, said. "Good…" the young Fire lord smiled. "Yeah! Whee! Stress relieving!" Sokka jumped around.

"Zuko…only one problem! Who's gonna take care of your psychopath sister, Zulala, I mean, Azula?" asked a female voice from the shadows. "Don't joke around with me, TheDayYouSaidGoodnight. Besides, Azula is in the Mental Hospital in Mandaluyong (pronounced MAHN-dah-loo-yohng, it is a city in the Philippines where the Mental Hospital is located) City. If you want to come, tell it straight. I hate last-minute people." "Well, I am honored to come. Good, good. But I would need a Chinese or Japanese sounding name to fit in."

"How about 'Authoress of Fiery Doom'?" Sokka said, "My element is fire but you have no screwed right to call me that!" "Well, Chie does. Chie means wisdom!" Katara said, "Arigato, Kataraaaaaaaa!" the authoress screamed. Katara sweatdropped soon enough at the screaming lady wearing a shin-length kimono. "Sorry, hyper me! I love chocolate." She smiled.

The next day…

They were all ready to go. But their luggage didn't fit in Appa's saddle. How could they now escape fatigue in Ba Sing Se. They still fit themselves into Appa's saddle. When Appa had landed, they all stretched and bent their backs. "Holy crap, Aang. Trust me, the next time we go here, I'm giving transportation provisions!" Zuko bashed the Avatar on his bald head.

They were reserved in the best house in Ba Sing Se even if they were NOT refugees just at the sight of the powerful Fire lord and the Avatar. As Appa, Sokka, Toph, Momo and Katara were…ehem…bonding, TheDayYouSaidGoodnight a.k.a. Chie, Zuko and Aang were wandering around the thoroughfares, Zuko had those reminiscences in his head. He remembered that this was the place where shame was away because he had learned to love. He wished to apologize to Jin…that lady whom he had kissed a few years ago. He didn't look at the road ahead of him, partly due to his "remembering" and the sakkat on his face.

"Hey! Zuko-kyo! Watch………………..out." the Avatar and the authoress shouted but it was too late. Zuko had bumped into a lady of the city. She was dressed in a long robe with different colors. Her messy brown hair had been tied into a ponytail. She had a bag of groceries with her but they toppled when she bumped into this….Fire lord?

"I'm sorry, sire, how careless of me." The lady said, "No, no, I'll pick them up for you. Any damage? I'll pay for it…" the voice sounded familiar to that lady but she brushed it off aside.

"No damage here. Thank you, sir, for helping me." "No problem. _Holy hell! Do I know her? It's…Jin and she's prettier than ever…_" Zuko helped her up. "Li?" "Jin!" "Well, Li, it had been such a while since I've seen you. And my, my, you're still really cute." Jin smiled, "Can I please tell you a secret, Aang, Chie, promise me that you won't blackmail the two oblige wholeheartedly . Well…okay…here it goes…._Fuck!_...Do you remember when I worked at the tea shop? My name isn't really Li, it's Zuko and my uncle's name is Iroh."

"Well, Zuko suits your flaming personality, Fire lord." Jin caressed his face, "And errrm…I and my uncle are refugees. I was literally thrown out of the Fire Nation. If you remember those lanterns, I lit them. I wanted to make you happy because I'm no dating expert." "Well, thank you. Why did you leave me at the fountain?"

"Well…eeerrr….well….it's because, I've been numbed by shame. I never felt love until that. It took me so long to realize that. Can you go out with me once again? I owe you one." "I'd love to. See you by the fountain later." Then she gave him a quick smack on the lips and left. His cheeks were as red as strawberries.

Aang and Chie (TDYSG) nudged him at each side of his body. Chie waved her hand in the Fire lord's face. "Come on now, let's get the heck of you ready for that date, playboy!" Chie took the two to the tea shop where Zuko and his Uncle Iroh used to work. It was burned down, the tea shop where Uncle Iroh had the title of "Best Tea Maker in Town". Zuko decided not to tell his uncle about the burned down shop. The Avatar groaned, _It could have brought back memories to Iroh. Poor guy if he ever comes to know of it._ Chie, Aang and Zuko went back to the house.

"Katara, Sokka, Toph. We're helping Zuko dress up for his date." Aang said, "Stick the crap, Fire lord. I can't help you with dates! I'm blind!" Toph said, "I didn't say you get his clothes!" Chie retorted.

"Oh!" Toph said, "Hey, Fire lord, I felt over some flowers in the garden. I found lilies, jasmines and the traditional roses. Come on!" she said. She took Zuko to the garden, where arcs and vines of beautiful flowers were found. He plucked some of the most beautiful ones and remembered how Uncle Iroh arranged them. He had formed such a creative bouquet with the help of Katara, Sokka and Aang. Chie had the worst job. She had to dress Zuko up. The poor girl. While she opened the closet, she found a crimson suit fit for a simple-headed FL (fire lord). After persuading Zuko to wear it she found a sense of pride in seeing the attractive ruler in a fine suit. It was a crimson cheongsam-like top, a black silken belt on his rather slender waist and crimson pants that trailed to his shoes. She decided not to fix his hair. Jen would like the messiness of his locks (Think Book 2, people). Everything was complete. They let this loverboy do what he wants alone, so they were quiet at home while Chie was heating the water with fire-bending.

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Holy! Well…I promise to give you guys the second chapter as soon as possible so that I can take away your doubts and release the cliffhanger-addiction. Thanks for reading! Hope ya like it! Read and review. Clicking that "Go" button with the "Submit Review" button will be alright with me. FLAME me all you want. Flames will be given to Zuko and Jin who are currently running out of stones to use for tea.

-TDYSG


	2. Reminiscence Fountain

Well, readers, I'm really begging for a review. I need even your FLAMES. Being the un-corny romantic novelist that I am, this story will not be CORNY. It can have enough genres that your head can screw. This is rated T but may go up in later chapters. You are warned by coarse language and sexual innuendos.

DISCLAIMER: Uncle Irohhhh! I promise to give you a new teacup if you do the disclaimer!

Iroh: Okayy. TheDayYouSaidGoodnight does not own Avatar: The Last Airbender and she will give me a new teacup!

TDYSG: Good uncle. (pats his head) Here's your new teacup!

Zuko: This isn't happening…is it? Jin!

Jin: Yes, your Fire lord-ness?

Zuko: Please get my uncle out of here!

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Chapter 2: Reminiscence Fountain

"Now, Zuko, here are a few rules I wrote in this papyrus about after the date. Number one, bathe in the hot water that Chie had prepared, number two, ask anyone to teach you how to play the guitar. Holy crap, Chie! I would never put it there!" Aang retorted. "Well, hell can never be holy! Guitars are made for courting!" Chie combed her shoulder-length black hair into a half-ponytail. "Well, Tinkle toes, she has a point!" Toph shouted from the bathroom.

"You do have a point. Rule three; brush your teeth after the date. I know you did this a while ago. Rule four, never present a bouquet after a date. Rule five, try not to bicker and brawl with others and rule number six…holy sky bison!" Aang's eyes almost burst out of his sockets.

Toph said, "I wish I can see the Fire lord's face one day." Then Katara inquired, "What do you mean by that, Toph?" "Well, I wish that I could also see what you look like. I want to see everyone so I can understand you all better." Zuko was touched and remembered an age-old fire-bending skill that can undo blindness. "Toph, open your eyes." A straight beam of red light thinner than a tube came out of his finger. (In modern times, we call this thing LASER)

"Hey! It's so beautiful to see!" the gray film on her eyes disappeared like fog. "Thank you!" she said. "Don't mention it." The Fire lord smiled. "Well, Katara, you really are pretty!" "Thanks, Toph. Look at the mirror and see." Toph looked and saw a stunning reflection. She couldn't believe that it was her.

"What damned frickin' rule has Chie set next?" Zuko grabbed the scroll and read it in almost a shouting manner, "RULE NUMBER SIX: DO NOT MAKE OUT! Marry her first then you can." Chie was still in a composed and dignified position. Her brown skin without any goosebumps even if she knows that she can be burned in seconds. Her black eyes darted back and forth at the doors. Then everyone, including Zuko, laughed.

"The sixth rule is a joke, Zuzu. Do whatever you want, as long as she wants to. I wouldn't want her to report you for rape." Chie straightened out her ankle-length red kimono and grinned openly. "Good luck!" everyone said. He brought with him the dainty little bouquet of jasmines, lilies and white roses wrapped in linen paper and with a lot of ribbons and stuff.

Sokka naughtily shouted out, "Don't forget to bring her home!" then Katara said, "Treat her well!" "Have a nice date!" yelled Aang, "Kiss her for five minutes, Zuko-kyo!" Chie laughed. "Thanks for the curing of my eyes!" Toph cried out with her mouth and eyes.

"Thanks and you're welcome!" he yelled out at them. He was wandering through the alleyways. The moon was full and Ba Sing Se never looked more beautiful. Lanterns lit the streets filled with good-hearted, jovial people.

The Fire lord saw a little stall at the side of the road. There were bottles of perfume in all shapes and sizes. "Ah, sir, these are the finest perfumes in Ba Sing Se. Choose now." "Well, may I test the scent of this one in the transparent bottle?"

"You have made an excellent choice, sir! It is a concoction of chamomile and lavender. This is the last one in my stock. So many buy this one and their reason was to give it to their special someone. They came back to me with such happy and contented smiles." The elderly lady said. "It costs ten gold pieces."

"Well. I'll take it!" Zuko took out some gold coins. "Umm…sir, I believe that this is more than enough. But may I touch your cheek. I am old and I wish to feel again the smoothness of a young one's skin." She gave him the bottle and ran her left hand on his cheek.

"_Truly, you are my son. I didn't know that you would grow up to be such a charming and strong boy. Even in the wilderness, your skin has never grown hard and rough._ Such baby-like skin. There you go, sir. Good luck." Urza, the former Fire lady, said but never did Zuko realize that she was his mother.

"Keep the change!" he said enthusiastically, then, in a split second, the Fire lord had disappeared into the crowded boulevard. The elderly woman smiled. She closed the stall.

She took out a pendant from her neck. It had the insignia of the fire nation. Her gray hair billowed in the breeze. She smiled quietly and followed the young Fire lord with a black hood on her gray hair.

In the fountain…

Zuko ran like a speeding bullet through the roads of Ba Sing Se. He wasn't surprised that the lights were not lit and fire-benders were allowed in Ba Sing Se, at last. Sneakily, he hid in the shadowy corridors as he saw Jin encircling the fountain.

Her long, smooth, brown hair hung loosely at her dainty shoulders. Her lovely eyes sparkled in the full moon as a smile played on her face. She wore a silk robe with different shades of green and plant-like designs. She truly was a sight to behold even in her simplicity.

He ran almost invisibly in the air and used his hands to cover her eyes. He snickered to himself and kept quiet.

"Rapist! Rapist! Kidnapper! Hold-upper! Wait? Holy hell! Zuko!" then the Fire lord let go of his grasp on her face. "How did you know it was me?" "Obviously!"

"Well, let's eat. You must be hungry. I wouldn't want you throwing tantrums at me." They ate at the same place where they had their first date.

After a hearty meal, the waiter asked, trembling, "Sir, do you and your girlfriend mind some for some desert?" then he hid himself. "Hey, waiter, just get us some strawberries. That would be dessert." Zuko smiled. The waiter stopped shaking and posted the order on the cook's nose.

After dinner, they went back to the fountain, and sadly, it wasn't encircled by the lights. The place was dark and lifeless. It needed some fire in the lanterns. Zuko held his lady's hand and directed little splats of fire from his index finger. The place was now radiant with the softness and warmth of lanterns.

Suddenly, a sincere applause came from the shadows. Out stepped a bent senior citizen with long, gray hair and a black cape. An insignia of the Fire Nation hung proudly on her neck.

"Congratulations, son. I didn't know that you would be more attractive without the ponytail. Well, at least, you are true now to your heart, son. Treat her well and never hurt her. Marry her if you wish. I give you all my consent," the elderly lady said. "The perfume vendor? Mom?" "Zuko, good that you remember. I find your fiancée very suitable for you and by the way, I made those perfumes myself. Whatever you paid me a while ago will be used as transportation fare." "That's why I find it enticing," the young boy smirked.

"Wow, Zuko. I didn't know that you have such a loving and caring mom. I don't even have parents of my own but I know my name, my age and my birthday." "I am former Fire lady Urza and I will be happy to enter you into my family." "Thank you….Mom." Jin hesitantly said.

"Have a good time. I will go back to the Fire Nation." Urza said as she spun around and disappeared in the mist.

Zuko and Jin sat at the rim of the fountain. She cushioned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm on her waist. "This is so sweet, Zuko." "Oh, I forgot. I got something to give you." He pulled out an intricate bouquet and a transparent bottle of perfume. "It isn't the twelve days of Christmas yet, Fire lord," she joked. She laughed until she fell into the fountain. When she rose up from the fountain, a candle was on her head. She let it float back on the water.

"Jin? Are you okay?" he pulled her up and she was shivering. He let his hand wander on the pool and it was freezing. "Let me warm you up. I don't want you to get sick." He made a gentle fire and made it encircle her, like a steady hurricane with a large eye. In a matter of time, she was dried up. It even gave her a free blow-dry on her hair. Jin's straight rough wire-like brown hair became wavy and soft. Such locks framed her face perfectly and helped her get a more seductive image.

"I'm fine now. Thanks." She cuddled on his broad shoulder and buried her head deep into his chest. Zuko slid the back of his cool hand on her neck. "Good that you didn't catch a fever." "Thanks to you," she whispered. Jin reached her head and used her lips to brush lightly on his cheek. He returned a deep, seductive kiss on the lips. They spent the hours talking, talking, and talking until they suddenly found an urge to dance. The Fire lord took her hand and they danced in the cold moonlight, surrounded by lanterns. The cobblestones were the dance floor and it was theirs for the night. Gently, they waltzed with occasional stepping and bumping.

They didn't notice the time until the town hourglass struck the 23rd hour. "Do you live alone?" the former refugee asked, "Yes. Lonely home I have." "It's dangerous for you to go home alone. You can stay at the house where we lodge." "Is it okay with your friends, Zuko?" "Ah, they are many of them but one of them wants me to take you home," he said naughtily.

"Well, let's go. Promise that you'll protect me." "You are my soon-to-be wife. I promise that not one of your hairs will be plucked," he nodded as they walked down the dark lane. Before they knew it, they were home. All the bedrooms were occupied exclude two: the master's bedroom and the bathroom.

"We have to share one room." Jin said in defeat, "No problem but are you allowed to make out?" "Screw that thought! I don't have any relatives to restrain me." "I'm still a virgin and my chastity is overrated," "So, you're gay?" "No way!" "Sleeping beside you won't hurt." "I guess it will be okay."

They entered the room. It had the style and feel of an ordinary Japanese bedroom. Zuko's jaw dropped when he saw only one bed. Hell, poor him, he doesn't know how to……….

Jin went to the canvas drapings which was the changing room ahem…ahem. She had brought along a thin robe that she can use in sleep. Then, she sprayed some of the perfume that Zuko gave her until the room was filled by its calming properties. She placed the bouquet in a table and breathed deeply.

Zuko threw his shirt in a small laundry basket at the side of the bed. The hormones released during his adolescence had defined his form. He'll go to bed in trousers. Jin slipped her body into the sheets.

"So, you sleep half-naked?" asks Jin, "It's better than being stark naked," he bluntly replied. They slept beside each other for the whole night and were so contented in each other's arms.

In the morning…

At about five thirty in the morning, Chie, the lady whose name means wisdom, was combing her hair with her hands as she was roused from sleep. She was wearing a knee-length cotton kimono and her thick black hair was messed up. She grabbed a towel from a chair in her room and slammed the bathroom door. After a good bath, she would always be smiling as she gets out of the room well-dressed with her hair in a lovable half-ponytail.

Her first destination was the master's bedroom. She grinned when she saw Zuko and Jin in such a suggestive position. She also noticed that Jin's hair sprawled all over her shoulders and her tresses were wavy. She thought: _Fire lord-boy must have used his firebending to blow-dry her hair. What a hilarious way of showing love. He's getting laid, is he?_ She glued a note to the wall which said:

"Hey Zuko, congratulations on getting laid or did you get laid? Hope your date went well last night. I, Aang and Katara are going to buy some groceries at the public market. Help Toph recognize stuff because she has been used to being blind and tell Sokka to set the table. –Chie"

She found Katara and Aang waiting for her in the dining room. They were smiling mischievously. "So, what's the news?" Katara inquired, "I think our Fire lord got laid last night." "Dammit! This is the most beautiful shit I have heard!" Aang said. Katara was surprised by the language coming out of the Avatar's mouth. "Well, let's buy those groceries. We wouldn't want to disturb some people." Katara said as she led the group to the market.

Jin woke up abruptly and didn't mind a piece of paper on the wall. She saw Zuko still asleep and how innocent he looked in sleep. He's an excellent kisser for her. Such a morning would be well, endorphins going up and the happy-mode hormones coming in. She decided to get the note. As she returned to the bed, Zuko was roused by the morning sunlight kissing his face. Jin was beside him and he began to read the note. A blush crept on his face. At the same time, Chie, Katara and Aang had come home.

"I didn't make out with her last night!" he yelled, "It's what you guys looked like when I pondered." Chie laughed, "Alright, I admit it!" the Fire lord said. That morning was such a beautiful one, after Sokka cooking breakfast and Toph learning to see physically with her healed eyes. Introduction was the key of the day and it is a good thing. At least Jin found the gang as good in general in spite of Chie's word puns, Aang's childishness, Katara's killjoy ambitions, Sokka's pervertedness, Toph's newbie-ness.

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-TDYSG

At least it was longer! Harharaharhar! Read and review please! Onegai?


	3. Drinking Sessions

I don't know why, but I'm so inspired to do this chapter. After this chapter, no more habitual drinking of sugared coffee. This chapter is dedicated to Japanese and Filipino alcoholic beverages so be warned of potty-mouthed drunkards, including Aang himself.

DISCLAIMER: Jin! Zuko! Iroh! Aang! All together now!

Jin, Zuko, Iroh and Aang: TheDayYouSaidGoodnight doesn't own A:TLA.

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Chapter 3: Drinking Sessions

The afternoon's duty was to get something to drink and be merry. Zuko and Jin had got down to the market to buy some sake, and they bought as much as they could carry. Chie (me, see chapter 1) was still in the market at sundown, searching for fermented sugarcane juice, known in the Philippines as _tuba_ or _tubah_ (pronounced TOO-bah; fast, not slow with a staccato-like pronunciation in the second syllable) _Tubah_ is best drunk in the morning, when it is new because it will go sour by nighttime. Lucky for Chie, she met a nocturnal tubah vendor at the market. She bought some and headed home.

At the market…

"Fuck you, Katara! We can only drink subtle alcohol! And you bought this coconut wine stuff?" Sokka retorted, "First of all, this is good quality of wine. Second, this drink has a name! The name is _lambanog_, pronounced as LAHM-bah-nohg. Third, it comes from nowhere among the four nations and is considered a delicacy!" Katara shouted.

Meanwhile, at the other part of the market…

"Hey, sir, what do you call that wine that you're drinking?" the respectful Avatar called out to an old man in the carpet shop. "Ah, this is wine made of rice. It is called _tapuy_ (pronounced ta-POOY) and it comes from the ancient Ifugao tribe of the Filipinos. Yet, today, those Ifugaos still make this wonderful wine."

"May I taste it, sir?" Aang asked, "You are the Avatar, do what you please." The man held his drinking vessel on the table. Aang drunk half of the goblet in one gulp and said, "Where do you buy this wine? I and my pals will be having some drinking tonight." "Go to the third stall to your left."

After sunset…

Toph tried lighting the match inside the house. She took out a blue candle and a bronze candle holder as she struck the match on the phosphorous. Now that she can see, things would be much easier.

"This is such a stupid match! Darn this match! Frikkin' non-fire-producing match! Rot in hell you bastard match!" she put the match back inside the box and shoved it into the cabinet. Such an upsetting thing it is to not have a lit match when sundown coincides.

Her dark eyes seemed to smile as a tiny fleck of fire appeared on its own on the wick. In the shadows, the Fire lord curled his lips into a small smile. He began to speak.

"You see, Toph, you must be patient to help the fire go with the feelings in your hands. If you want a raging, violent fire, you must be angry and filled with rage. If you want a gentle, warm fire, you must have love in your heart." "Thanks, Sir Zuzu, I didn't know that fire responds to one's emotions." "Don't mention it."

Jin saw many lit candles in the dining area. Just a low table with so many pillows and cushions plus lively candles, the full moon and the stars. She held Zuko's hand and they sat at the table where Chie was arranging some flowers in a bowl made of bamboo. Katara, Sokka and Aang came home with some more alcoholic drinks. After dinner, they poured themselves some drinks.

Toph poured water for all of them to make sure that drinking will be safe for everyone.

"A toast of sake! I'll be married in a few weeks!" Zuko said, as everyone, including Toph, had a cup of sake in their hands. Jin's head was lying peacefully on his strong shoulder. She gulped the contents of her cup. For a 24-year old earthbender, she did love wine. For a 26-year old Fire lord, he sure had high alcohol tolerance.

Clanking of ceramic cups were heard in the dining room. Momo was sipping sake from his own bowl but soon spat it on the flowers and left. Appa was quietly sleeping in the stable.

"Sake is best drunk warm. It is the flame that gives the hearth to the soul." Zuko added as his cold cup had some steam coming out of it as soon as he placed his hand over the cup. Everyone had a good time drinking. After 5 large bottles of sake for Aang, Chie, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Zuko and Jin, it was Aang's turn to present his alcohol. There was still some sake available, if the other wines wouldn't last.

"This is _tapuy_! This is another kind of rice wine, in another nation. The best of its kind. I'm sorry to bring only one bottle. I think you guys might not like it." The young avatar poured all seven of them some of the_ tapuy_.

"Ah, seems like my throat was cleansed." Chie remarked. "Good choice, Aang! Can I have the whole bottle?" Sokka inquired, "Sorry, you can't!" Katara said. "Hey, Tinkle toes, I'll have some more _tapuy_." "Aw…darn, none left. Jin and I wanted some serious drinking." The Fire lord determinedly looked at his fiancée. "Well, Katara, Sokka, give us a taste of your wine." Aang smiled.

"This is _lambanog_. It's made of coconut juice. I don't know how this thing even tastes like. Just try to like it." Katara said, demurely. "Holy shit, Katara!" Chie said after gulping, "More! More! More!" Aang said, with a tinge of red in his cheeks from severe drunkenness. "Aang! You better get to bed. You're drunk enough!" Sokka shoved the Avatar to his bedroom, where drunken snoring and fantasies were heard.

"To make our drinking more interesting, let's make it Survivor." Jin suggested, "Good idea. Now it's my turn to give you the best fermented sugarcane juice in the world called _tubah_!" She took out five bottles from the bag and slammed it on the table.

"_Tubah_ tastes better in the morning when freshly made yet I found a nocturnal _tubah_ maker who makes this stuff during the night. This baby is sure to give a strong kick tonight." Chie said as she pried open the cover of the bottle. "Drink up!" Toph devoured the liquid in her cup.

Zuko, intoxicated by seeing something new in the table, grabbed one whole bottle and snagged it up like whisky. Some of the liquid even went down his cheek because of his carelessness in drinking. Whatever fell on his cheek, Jin licked it up with her own tongue. Chie, being a barbaric drinker, made sure that the wine gushed like the water in a dam into her own throat. Messy drips and stains were on the table.

Katara only drunk one cup for the sake of not being too intoxicated but she succumbed to drinking one whole bottle. Sokka swigged the _tubah _without thinking. "Hey, monkey brain, heard what the banana said to the monkey?" asked Chie, "What?" said Sokka, "The banana said, 'Brainless ape, don't you now that eating me makes you go bananas?'" "That wasn't funny!" Sokka said, rushing to the bathroom and vomited.

"Alright, Sokka, you can hic…stop…hic…now. Go…hic…to…sleep!" Katara pushed him to the mattress. Katara went back to the dining room and shared the remaining bottle of _tubah_ with Zuko, Jin and Chie. Jin gulped a bottle of the fermented sugarcane juice and said, "Zuko, give…hic…me…hic…hic…hic…more!" "You're pretty drunk, Jin. Sleep on me, I'll feel more needed if you do." "O…hic…hic…kay.." the reluctant and really drunk earthbender said. After a few seconds, she collapsed into his chest. Toph was sleepy enough. She still managed to get to her bed and slip under the sheets before snoring very loud snores.

Sixteen tubah and sake bottles later…

Everyone was drunk. At least, they knew their drinking limits. Katara blew off the candles as there were only three drinkers left, namely: Zuko, Chie and herself. Jin was still sleeping on the imperial Fire lord, who was still busy gulping sake like crazy. His face had not even a single red tinge from drunkenness. He still spoke straight, no slurring.

"Hey…hicc…Fire…hic..lord…you…have…a…high…tolerance for drinken." Chie said, escorting the severely drunk Katara. She wobbled and stumbled to her room. When she was on the pillows, the blanket flew and it covered her. "It leaves me." Zuko said, carrying Jin. The whole house was now sleeping but even in their innocence in sleeping, they reeked of different alcohol.

The dining table and the cushions were truly dirty and stained. Damn, the host would come tomorrow and look at the place but they didn't care. The dining table had different shapes, colors and sizes of bottles. Some still whole, some broken. Different wine drips scattered. Zuko, who wasn't still drunk, held Jin well in his strong arms so that she won't fall from bed. What a night!

Drinking is good but drink moderately! A friendly reminder from the authoress, TheDayYouSaidGoodnight!

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-TDYSG

Hope this chapter was good. Sorry for excessive drinking. Read and review!


	4. The Morning After

Ahh. Now I continue spinning the thread. This is the fourth chapter of Reconnection. The story was formerly entitled "Sentimental Fire Lord". Don't worry. No changes in plot whatsoever. May I remind you that Chie is pronounced as CHI-yeh. TDYSG here!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Duh.

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Chapter 4: The Morning After

Drinking sessions must have been so fun last night. If you enter the residence, the living room was stained with water, wine, tea and charcoal. The dining room had stains of different wines and how horrible the smell was. There were some spills of vomit on the rugs. The bathroom was an eyesore. Unsightly vomit from Sokka stained the place. The house was a complete mess.

The sun's rays peeked on the room of a 15-year old firebender who slept in her own room. Chie's (the pronunciation is chi-yeh) tired eyes suddenly opened as she remembered what would happen on that day. _Holy fucking crap! The host is checking up on the house today!_

A bird peered into the window of the Avatar and a newly-healed earthbender. The two suddenly woke up and rushed to dress clean. _Oh no…the host is coming! What a mess the kitchen could be! _Aang and Toph were extremely paranoid.

In the quarters of waterbending siblings, the early wind rolled into the room. Katara was awake when she suddenly remembered what was going to happen. She woke Sokka up, who was apparently, dreaming about making out with Suki.

"Dammit, Sokka! Wake your drunk ass up and the host is coming now!" Katara cussed aggressively. "Whatever." Sokka was roused by the aggressive screaming.

In the room of two lovers, the Fire Lord and an ordinary Earth peasant, peace and the calm aura of the place surrounded them. So contented by the heat in each other's arms, they looked so innocent in sleep…that was until, Zuko's eyes glowered. _Shit…shit…shit! The dining room's dirty. The whole house is a mess. The host will kill me for sure. _"Jin! Jin! Wake up! We have to clean the house." "Sure, just wait." Jin stretched up and tied her hair.

At the dining room…

"So guys, we're cleaning up. I'm going to take off the stains on the rugs." Chie volunteered. "I'm cleaning Sokka's crap." Katara grumpily said. "I'm helping her!" Sokka smiled.

"Since I can see now, I'll clean up the table." Toph said, as her midnight black hair swayed. "I'm going to drive off the smells with airbending." Aang laughed. "I'm spraying the house with perfume." Jin wrinkled her nose at the scent of the house. "Your Highness, it leaves you to uhm…do the heating system. You'll have to heat the house up." Toph pointed at the immune Fire Lord. His head nodded in response.

In the bathroom…

Katara used waterbending to clean up the messy bathroom. Sokka had to wipe off the ugly bits of you-know-what in the toilet. After half an hour, Katara was graced of their efforts but she wasn't sure if it was still the breeding ground of bacteria. At the same time, Chie was there.

"Chie! Would you mind heating the bathroom?" "Eh, sure!" Chie kicked her feet upwards, releasing an arc of fire. It circulated around the bathroom. It was a clean fire because it was from her body heat. "There you go. When you mix it with water, steam comes out and it adds to disinfection," Chie smiled as she went to clean the carpets.

With Jin…

Jin remembered the perfume that Zuzu gave her. She sprayed it at various sections of the house until a cool, soothing scent made everyone so contented to work even in dizziness. She went into the garden and picked some flowers to make the house look presentable.

With Zuko…

"Better work on it now. Damn, I'm sweating." Zuko unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the floor. He found a metal vent near the living room and readied some of his flames. _When I get home, I'm gonna issue a decree that the people of the Fire Nation can wear any hairstyle as they please!_ He was fantasizing, waiting to go home.

"Eh, darn," the Fire Lord muttered. He opened the central heating vent in the living room and was disappointed. The charcoal was already decreasing. Thinking of solutions, he went to the garden. Now this was awkward. He was the most powerful man in the place, SHIRTLESS, in a garden where many people pass by. He had forgotten to take his gray shirt with him. _Damn…_he muttered under his breath.

He started to look for broken branches. Good that he did. Many ladies saw his topless form and started to blush or giggle among themselves. He thought that he should have a sign from his neck saying, _"I'm taken!"_ He shook his head and went inside. Wearing his shirt back on, he shoved the branches into the vent and lit it up with a small jet of fire from his finger. Contented, he went to his room and took a bath in the bathroom inside of the bedroom.

With Chie…

With a brush, soap and a pail of water, she looked every inch of a Fire Nation Cinderella. As she scrubbed the rugs, the stains came off because she did an experiment. She let some fire run over the rugs in a way like hot air. The stains must have melted, making them easier to clean. Chie's hair was tied in a super messy topknot or bun.

"Ahh! This is a good sign." As the rugs were wet, she wanted to dry them as soon as possible. Channeling only heat, not fire, into her hands, she ran her palms on the wet rugs. She smiled as every rug that she cleaned smelled good and clean. She soon pulled a towel and went inside the bathroom inside her bedroom.

With Toph…

"Gahh! Stupid stain wouldn't come off! Tinkle toes! Come here and help me out!" the once-blind lady said. Aang released a little blast of air. "Will that do?" Aang asked, "Yeah, whatever!" she blinked her dark green eyes.

When Toph made a soft rock out of her bending, she scraped off the stains without hesitation. She just ran the cloth then the table was clean. Now, how does one take the smell off? At that time, Jin arrived with a jug of fresh flowers with water inside.

"Ooh, those smell so good!" Toph looked at Jin. Jin flashed happy brown eyes and placed the jug in the center of the table.

With Aang…

"Okay! Ready, set, blow-dry!" Aang had opened the window. He twirled his staff and kept it twirling as it was a mini-tornado taking off the smell. The smell flew out of the window. The whole house was now clean. Everybody did their part and they all deserved a nice bath.

After bathing…

Sokka dressed in a normal Water tribe robe. Katara had a very clean appearance. Her long, blue robe cascaded until her ankles. A sash encircled her rather small waist. She flashed a sweet grin of comfort.

Lady Toph Bei-Fong dressed in a green and yellow dress until her shins. Her black hair was tied in a bun and a headband. Her green eyes have now learned to see but her sense of touch was so strong. Her pale skin radiated under the sun's rays. She was really pretty when she fixed herself up.

Avatar Aang, was still bald, with the arrows. He now wore a yellow and red robe with many prayer beads and had his staff with him. He was smiling and slightly hiccupping, side effects of heavy drinking. His smile was still as flashy and innocent.

Chie wore her straight shoulder-length black hair in a half ponytail, almost like Ursa's except that she never likes topknots. She had dark brown eyes that seemed so clever. She wore a silk robe until her calf. It was black with shades of blue and red. It had long, baggy sleeves.

Jin wore her hair in a messy ponytail. Her brown hair seemed to follow her every move. She wore a long, flowing, green kimono that covered even her feet. She was very slim and had a sultry sway in her every step.

Fire Lord Zuko had a rather stunning impression for the morning. His hairstyle was still the same "Lake Laogai" look. He wore a silken red Chinese button-up shirt. His pants were made of cotton and were black. A red and black garment was above the top and bottom. It was a kimono with the sleeves ripped off and the skirt was shortened until the bone above the ankle.

As the group had breakfast, they kept on commenting on each other's styles. Sometimes, the comments were disparaging and offensive. Mostly, they would be nice comments. Suddenly, after breakfast, a knock on the door was heard. Aang answered the door. It was Joo Dee, one of the hosts but there was only one Joo Dee in Ba Sing Se now unlike in the older times.

"Ah, I may leave you now. The house is very neat." Joo Dee leapt into her carriage and left. Everyone sighed. At least, the hard work paid off. That was their last day in Ba Sing Se. Sokka and Katara would go back to the Water Tribe. Zuko, Chie, Jin, Toph and Aang would be going to the Fire Nation.

In the Fire Nation…

"Sire! You have come back. Your mother was ruling the country when you left." One servant said. "Alright," the young Fire lord smiled contentedly as he lead Jin to the throne room. There was his mother, Ursa.

"You have come home. Who are the other three you have brought home?" "Ah, this is Avatar Aang. This is Chie, an authoress. This is Toph, a noblewoman from the Earth kingdom, Aang's to-be wife.

Zuko and Jin went out of the palace to see the many people outside. "People, friends and countrymen, I introduce to you my fiancée, Jin. We're to be married a few weeks from now and so will the Avatar and his girlfriend, Lady Toph Bei Fong."

"To the legislators of the Fire Nation, I order a new decree! Fire lord's Decree # 1994. The decree is that all the people of this nation, are free to choose any hairstyle as they please." He announced in a booming voice. The whole nation cheered and let loose their topknots and ponytails. The populace looked much better without them. Now this was the start of a true reign.

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Aw! This is not the end! Review please. With sugar on top?

-TDYSG


	5. Hope from the Sun

Well. I received 2 wonderful reviews added to one review from the past. They really opened my eyes, literally and figuratively. I'm nearsighted, to be honest and I'm just slightly above amateur. People are so kind! Back to the plot, I made some changes so don't be surprised by an ever-fickle mind like mine. This chapter was heavily edited!

I also accept request fics. Any genre, any pairing, any summary. Include your requests in your review if you want to request.

Disclaimer: Aw…you know I don't own it!

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Chapter 5: Hope from the Sun

Morning at the Fire Nation palace was always radiant. The early sunlight would shine upon the golden pillars in the foyer. It would reflect upon the water at the façade of the place. The palace gardens would always welcome the big ball of fire by as the flowers that had slept through the night would bloom.

Sokka and Katara had been back in the Water Tribe, helping their family. The rest of them have resided in the Fire Nation for a short while. Lady Toph Bei Fong, the Blind Bandit or simply Toph, had woken up with dust all over her lithe body.

She yawned with an energetic voice. She wore a simple, spaghetti-strapped white undergarment as her nightclothes. Someone knocked on the door.

"Lady Bei Fong?" a servant said, "Yeah?" "It's time to eat. His Highness and the others are in the Great Hall." "Sure, coming." Toph slipped on a simple green and yellow dress and went down with her hair in a simple headband.

At the Great Hall…

The great hall was large. It can fit fifteen beds. The table was long and had so many plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons, napkins and candles. The tablecloth was made of red velvet and on the ceiling was a diamond candelabrum. On the wall were paintings of the past Fire lords and Fire ladies. The place was beautiful as many plates came in. Zuko, Jin, Aang and Chie were eating their meals well.

Chie was practically devouring the food. Zuko's eyes almost exploded from his sockets when he saw her mouth practically drenched in sauce. Jin hid her laugh underneath a table napkin. Aang was frozen to his spot. _She's barbaric in eating but she's like a bamboo._

The servants talked among themselves. "I know who that girl is. She comes from a noble family but she seems to have no manners." A lady servant said. "Maybe she's been really hungry," a compassionate servant smiled.

Zuko said, "When I said that Jin had a big appetite for a girl, you're more alarming than her." "Well, she should really eat. She may not look like a reed but she's still growing." Jin laughed.

"What do you call this soft meat, Fire lord?" asked Chie as she gobbled some more, "It's roasted lamb." Zuko calmly said. "Delicious!" the dark-haired lady said.

"Hey, good morning everyone," a certain sarcastic voice called out. "Yo! Good morning Toph! Eat this stuff! This is finger-lickin' good!" Chie said, raising a piece of lamb. "Thanks, Chie." Toph reluctantly took the lamb and threw it into her mouth. She chewed it gently. "It's good but you sound like you're high on cactus juice."

Toph sat down on the table and looked at her food. She was barely picking at it and was just nibbling the food if she did put some in her mouth. Her chin was on her palm and she shot the peas on the wall.

"Anything wrong, Toph?" Aang asked, concerned. "Yeah, and you don't have to know, Tinkle toes." Toph said, "Why? What's the big problem?" Aang asserted. "You don't have to know it!" Toph angrily shouted and glared daggers at Aang.

"Uhm, Zuko, can we talk in private?" Jin pulled her fiancé away from the Great Hall. "Zuko, do you remember when you restored her sight? Maybe it offended her. Your mother might have told you that if you lost one of your senses, the others become stronger. It's alright to be disabled. Look at her, when she was still blind, she loved every little second of it. You have your own disability but you have an excellent sense of smell," she whispered as she caressed his scar.

"You're right, maybe I really screwed up on it. How dumb of me. Azula was right to call me a dumb-dumb." "Well, you did it for a good cause. It's really hard to please people, Zuko." Jin whispered. "Let's go back to the table, shall we?" the Fire lord led her hand back to the Great Hall.

After continuing what he ate, Zuko saw Toph looking so glum. She wasn't her usual sarcastic, annoying yet humorous self. _That's it. I'm talking to her later…after I finish my coffee._

When everyone was finished eating a sumptuous breakfast, Jin put a supportive hand on the Fire lord's shoulder to tell him that things will turn out fine. "Go on. She's waiting, dear." Zuko walked over to Toph's retreating figure and said, "Toph. I want to talk to you. Just a moment, I promise." "Sure, sure, sure. What do you want, firebending Scarface?" Zuko fumed at the nickname she gave him. There were two blasts of fire in his hands but he withdrew afterwards. Well it was true, since he had a scar.

"Do you enjoy being able to see?" he asked reluctantly. "Well, sort of. At least I can see that Katara was right when she complimented me on being pretty. I now see the colors of the world, but…"

"But what?" "It isn't the same as being blind and being a bandit." "To be honest with you, I regret what I did. Do you want to become blind again?" Toph looked up and said, "Yes! Thank you!" she tightly embraced Zuko as tears suddenly wet the emperor's top. "Shh…shh…it's okay, Toph. If you want to cry, cry all the sadness in your heart. But in return, you really have to dry my shirt. You're drenching it." Toph kicked the ground then, a boulder made a hole in the Fire Palace's wall. "Oops, sorry," she sat on the red carpet. Zuko soon followed and showed her his broadswords. "Nice broadswords," Toph commented.

"I'll tell you something that you can NEVER tell the whole world." Zuko said, "What is it, Scarface?" "As long as you stop calling me 'Scarface', I'll tell you, Dust Magnet." "Alright, I'll stop." "I'm the Blue Spirit. This is my weapon."

"Well, now you said you are the Blue Spirit, will you be my godfather for my wedding?" "Sure, but you're too young for now. Wait until you're Jin's age. Meet me outside the palace. Bring a telescope without a stand and a big piece of white paper. My mother said that if you look at the sun directly, you would be blind." "I hope it's true."

An hour before noon…

Toph was wearing a royal yellow Earth Kingdom robe and had so many little beads forming intricate patterns. Her ebony black hair was tied and set back by a green headband. She was running barefoot in the palace halls, looking for a telescope without a stand and a large piece of white paper.

Aang was in a yellow and red monk's robe. Many wooden beads hung from his neck. He wore a permanent grin in his face and his staff echoed as he walked through the hallways. He had heard of the plan to make Toph blind again so that she would be back to her old self. He wanted to support Toph all the way. Zuko had been carelessly spreading the rumor about him and Toph. He had to confess. The servants bowed as he passed by.

Chie was currently near the pond of the turtleducks. Her short black hair was neatly tied into a half ponytail. She wore a buttoned black garment with a red sash trailing to the floor. There were intricate designs on the upturned collars. She wore black shoes on her feet. She was looking at her reflection in the pond when a baby turtleduck rose from the surface, flew unto her face and kissed her. "Easy there, little fellow," she gave him some pieces of bread and went to the front of the palace.

Jin and Zuko were waiting outside the palace. They looked at the high steps of the palace. The white stones that made up the steps of the Fire lord's residence gleamed in the sunlight. There were fires on the railings of the paths toward the palace. The water clearly reflected the beauty of the roaring fires. Three sets of footprints came. One set was excited but taking her time. It was Toph. The second set was loud, fast and hurrying. It was Chie. The third was slightly wobbly but fast. It was Aang.

"Are you ready, Toph?" Zuko asked the Blind Bandit as a mahogany table was near the main entrance. "Ready as ever." Toph spread the paper on the raised part of the big table. "Aang, I want you to hold the paper. Don't look at it…whatever happens," the Fire lord sternly warned.

"Okay, I'll do it." Avatar Aang held the paper on one side and closed his eyes. "Chie, I want you to hold the telescope." Chie held the bronze telescope. She adjusted the focus knob so that the light would be at its brightest. The telescope was polished and it measured from her shoulder to her elbow. It was working well.

"Jin, calculate the exact location of the sun." "It's almost directly above us." "We're facing west so Chie can just put it above her head, look sideways and direct the telescope on the paper." "And what will you do, Dr. Scarface Einstein?" "I'll be overseeing the thing so that no one will get hurt."

Aang closed his eyes then blindfolded himself as he held the paper. Chie held the telescope and wore a black silk bandana on her eyes to block out the sun. Jin was praying that it would be good for Toph to be back. Zuko was watching from behind a pillar and he had a black blindfold with him. Suddenly, a blinding glow was emitted from the lens of the telescope. It made a marvelous yellowish-white light on the paper and Toph looked at it. Zuko and Jin wore their blindfolds soon.

She was thrown back by the amazing power of the sun. She grunted and as soon as Chie heard it, she took the telescope away from its position and waited for five minutes. "You can take off your blindfolds off, everyone." She said, as she threw the telescope to a servant.

Everyone took off their blindfolds except Toph who doesn't need them. "I can't see anything! I'm blind again! Yipee!" Toph jumped in joy and made a massive hole in the stairs. "Uh-oh." She said. "Well, earthbend some mud and I'll dry it." Zuko and Toph worked to make the fire-baked mud bricks and finished soon. "Thank you, Fire lord Scarface, I mean, Zuko. You don't know how much this means to me," "Of course I do." Chie shot a fire bolt at Toph. Toph ducked as fast as she felt it in the air. "You're really back to normal."

When they were cleaning up their little experiment-hope bringing, Sokka and Katara came to visit. They saw Toph first. "You're blind again?" Sokka asked, "Your eyes can't see now, huh?" Katara inquired, "Yes, Katara. I'm happy to be blind. We just had an experiment using the sun. But I saw what I looked like and I'm proud of myself. Thank you, sun. You really bring hope. My mom was right. That glowing ball of fire really gives the warmth I need." Toph looked up with her unseeing eyes.

Toph was blind but can feel things well and good at battles. Zuko was scarred and numb but had good taste in perfume and an expert in fighting. Chie was nearsighted and slightly hard of hearing but had superior taste buds and a fast mind. Jin was slightly hard of hearing but she can see well and be sensitive to the needs of others. Aang was knock-kneed but had a good heart and superior Avatar skills. Sokka was an idiot but a true friend and strategist. Katara was very sensitive in emotions but had a caring and kind attitude. She is also witty and teaches well.

Everyone in this group had a certain disability, may it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. They say, "Disability is no hindrance to success. When one of your senses is not working, the others become stronger." It is very true. So the next time you see a blind person and gossip about him or her, remember that they may either hear or feel well.

Close your eyes if you want to listen better, close your ears if you want to see better. Some people have to learn the hard way but you can learn the easy way. Respect people with disabilities and help them. It feels good to help someone who really needs your help.

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Hi again! I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for your reviews. I'm not very good in writing but you guys can help me. Flames and constructive criticism are very welcome. I've included some morals in this chapter. Geez, what did I eat this morning that made me do this?

I appreciate your reviews!

-TDYSG


	6. Return of the Cold Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA. If I did, I would be chased now by Zuko's personal harem, which I am not included in!

Chapter 6: Return of the Cold Fire

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Fire nation prison…

As soon as Zuko was crowned Fire lord, one princess had been thrown out to jail for public misconduct, destruction and repeated mischief. She is Azula, the prodigy, the one born lucky. "Born lucky" seems so ironic. What kind of person in luck would be in prison because of her brother who was "lucky to be born"? With her in the prison cell were Mai and Ty Lee. Since the day they were here, they plotted escape.

Fire palace…

After lunch, Jin and Zuko were resting in the throne room. It had transformed from a dark, scary, dank place to a radiating, pretty and bright place. The asphalt pillars were replaced by marble pillars. The obsidian floor was replaced by marble too. Designs of golden dragons adorned the pillars. The wall of fire stayed and so did the design of the throne. Windows were added to the room to make it lighter. Red curtains adorned the wall behind the Fire lord's and Fire lady's throne.

"Nice place." Jin said, "Yeah. I wanted the place to be lighter. I have the tendency to hate being in dark places." "Oh, so, the most powerful mortal in the world is afraid of the dark like a little kid?" "Aw…come on. I'm not!" "Well, if it gets dark, you can send up a little fire blast every now and then," she smiled.

Toph and Chie were there in one big room of the palace. They even wondered how they wound up in there. Maybe the endless wandering led them. Toph bumped into a bronze gong 24 inches in diameter and hanging from a wooden frame with designs of ferns and other intricate carvings. The rope was made of abaca as she felt it.

"Ouch! What is this metal percussion instrument that hit me?" Toph retorted, "It's a gong, duh." Chie flicked her finger into the center of the gong and it produced a soft, dry sound. "Let's look for the gong stick." "Well, Chie, what's a gong without its stick?" Toph rummaged through the shelves and drawers of the room. There were many instruments in that room. There were numerous songi horns there and quite a lot of gongs, flutes and lyres.

"Eureka!" Chie excitedly said as she found a wooden stick with leather tied on the wooden ball at the end of that stick. "Are you going to test drive that thing?" Toph asked. "Of course!" Chie banged the stick with all her strength on the gong. It produced a loud, dry sound. "Let's bring that to Fire lord Scarface and let him know we found this little music room." "Sure!" Toph got the stick from Chie and touched it. "Hmm…there are writings on this stick." Toph said,

"Let me read it: 'To defeat the lady of cold fire, you must cut off her wire'. Strange but just remember it. We might use it in the future." Chie tapped her chin. "What's the cold fire? It's ironic." "Cold fire is lightning. Nah, who cares! Let's just bring this gong to Zuko and play it." Chie led Toph and the gong to the throne room.

As they went into the throne room, Zuko was amused that they found the gong. It had been hidden away for long, now he saw it was still in its original beauty. The throne room was a bit dark, because he had forgotten to tell the servants to raise the window blinds.

"Hey, your Highness, can you please let Chie and I act like we are royal performers? When we found this gong, we just had to bring it here!" Toph smiled. "Chie will dance with fire. I will play this instrument. I know it's a gong but there are different kinds. Nah, who cares! Will you watch us, Fire lord Scarface, please?" Toph said, sickeningly sweet.

"Zuko, we should really watch them. I think they have some potential here." Jin was eager to see what these two can do. "I guess so. Okay Toph, Chie, go," Zuko said reluctantly. Chie shouldn't burn the throne room, however and Toph should not throw boulders.

Toph struck the gong loudly four times. Chie was sitting on her ankles. Her head was hung. After the fourth gong, she rose up slowly, one knee at a time. When the tempo of the gong was getting faster, the roaring of fires coincided with her as she put her black leggings to good use. She jumped on the pillar and somersaulted in mid-air. She stood up in the air, released a whip of fire, and lashed it out on the wall of fire in front of the Fire lord.

"Impressive, nobody just does it as effortlessly as that." He commented with a smile. Chie's performance didn't stop there. She rubbed her hands together, assumed a lightning stance, and used her two fingers to make a string of fire in the air. It was an orange flame. She touched the flames with her bare hands and it multiplied into many whips. She lashed the whips into the air and it formed letters, the message was shown, "All hail the Fire lord and his fiancée."

Jin clapped her hands and giggled in amusement. Chie jumped into the air, collected the flames from the air and made them into a ball. Toph made the sound of the gong softer, with less beats. Chie made the flame disappear in an instant then, suddenly; the flames became a comet-like inferno. She encircled it around her body as she leapt and run. Toph's gonging became as intense as ever. She let go of the comet, put her hands and feet in graceful positions and made sharp arcs with them. The comet became a giant symbol of the Fire nation then it faded as its owner's hands clapped. Toph's gonging stopped. Chie and Toph went in front of the Fire lord and his soon-to-be Fire lady and bowed.

"That was the most impressive performance I've seen! It's even more impressive than Azula's breakdancing. Maybe I should grant you two Fire lord's Award for Performance." Zuko rose from the throne and clapped loudly. Jin broke into tears because of the beauty of the performance. Toph and Chie hi-fived and had a thumbs up at each other.

Suddenly, a soldier who was assigned to guard the prison came in, panting and huffing. Toph put a worried face on. "He seems to have gone through a trauma." She said as she poised her foot on the floor. The soldier had burn marks all over his body.

"Your Highness…your demented sister has escaped from the Fire nation prison. She killed all the prisoners and all the jail guards except me, and she has her two companions with her," he cowered and shivered.

"This is serious. Azula can cause much destruction to the Fire Nation. Toph, I want you to call Sokka, Aang and Katara. Tell them to come here to the throne room in the quickest convenience. This is a very drastic thing. We must stop her." Fire lord Zuko grabbed his broadswords and sent surges of flames to the wall of fire.

Later…

Katara, Aang, Toph, Chie and Sokka were sitting in front of the Fire lord and Jin. The soldier was cowering in one corner from the trauma. "Tell me what happened,"

"Well, first, she took the keys of her handcuffs from the sleeping guard. Then, she broke through the metal using cold fire and blue fire. She made such an explosion that almost everyone except me died. I had been hiding as she did it. I'll never forgive myself for this," the soldier said.

"We can do nothing about that but we can defeat her. That's why I called you all here. We cannot let her destroy our nation," Zuko said, in a determined voice.

"But…she can use lightning. None of us can defeat her." Chie hung her head low. "Yeah, and the circus girl can take away our bending." Katara said. "We CAN do this!" Avatar Aang stood up, "We need to work together!" he added. "Yeah! Think positive!" Sokka jumped in the air.

"We could poison them with cactus juice, for starters." Jin suggested. "Well, we're not in the desert and it takes a few weeks to go to the Earth Kingdom." "Oh, sorry," then a servant rushed into the room, bowed and screamed, "Sire! Our palace guards are useless! Their bending has been taken away! We are vulnerable!" "No we are not!" Zuko took his broadswords, clutched Jin's hand and jumped with her unto the ground, missing the wall of flame.

"Where are we going?" "We're kicking their sorry butts." The five others followed into the entrance of the palace. Toph and Chie stubbornly brought along the gong. They thought it could make some signals or just plain noise.

They were waiting vigilantly. Using their elements, they constructed walls to defend themselves as they readied their battle plans. There was a wall of ice, a wall of tornadoes, and a wall of rocks and a wall of infernos so that they would be safe for the meantime.

Outside…

"Hmm…so Zuzu knows what to do. He's still weak, anyway. Ladies, let us destroy this place and take the throne." Azula said as Ty Lee and Mai defeated another score of palace guards.

They had successfully infiltrated the palace by wearing guards' costumes but as soon as they were in, they removed their disguises and fought.

Katara had her water whip ready. Sokka had his boomerang at hand. Aang was prepared with his staff. Chie was playing with a katana and stuck a telescope in her sash-belt. Toph was readying a boulder at hand. Jin was readying her prayers and her agility. Zuko had his broadswords in a fighting stance. As long as they stay together, chances of surviving are high.

Azula, Mai and Ty Lee went up the steps to the Fire lord's residence. She saw the wall of ice and scoffed. "This is easy." She sent a wall of fire and melted it into steam.

She was shocked to see a wall made out of tornadoes. "But how?" "Let me take care of this!" Mai shot her throwing knives at the twirling winds. "This is going to be hard." "Wait, I feel a breeze coming on. It could counter the winds." Ty Lee looked at the yew trees. Sure enough, a strong wind bowled over the mini-tornadoes that Aang had set up.

But under that wall of mini-tornadoes was a wall made out of rocks and earth. Mai saw holes in the wall and fired knives on them. Ty Lee kicked the walls but they were too hard. "Oww! Oww!" she clutched her foot in pain. Azula found a defect in the wall. There was a hole in the side. "Ladies, prepare to punch. One, two three…" the wall of rocks crumbled in seconds. Sure enough, there was another wall but it was a wall of fire. Seven people were behind the wall, ready to strike if ever the flames should perish.

"Oh, isn't it my weak older brother Zuzu." Azula jeered. "Don't you even feel ashamed to do what you have done?" "I never regret what I do." "But you'll regret this!" Toph said. She and Chie had been readying sticks to strike the gong with. They struck the gong so loudly that Azula and company were distracted by the deafening noise for a while.

"Insolent blind brat and amateur firebender, I hate you two!" Azula fired lightning on Toph and Chie but Toph defended with a boulder. Azula took a deep breath and extinguished the wall of fire. "Easy, easy, easy. You are such an idiot, Zuzu. I wonder how you even became Fire lord."

"Don't mess with my fiancé or I'll mess with your ugly face." Jin warned. "And who are you? Oh, let me guess…You're an Earth peasant who happens to like my weakling brother. I guess this nation will be ruled by such weak people." Azula sneered.

"That's enough, Lightning Spark!" Toph shouted. Katara lashed a whip of water on Azula but she evaporated the water into steam with two fingers. Ty Lee made quick jabs on Katara which made her lose her bending. Toph sent flying boulders but Mai pierced and destroyed them all with her knives.

"Hey, circus girl, Katara's bending shouldn't be of interest to you. To fight me should be your interest." Chie drew out her katana as it shimmered in the bright sun. "Oh, maybe you want yours gone too." "Hmm…I guess so." Ty Lee ran to Chie and tried to give a blow to her tanned face. Chie pulled her sword on Ty Lee's fist and made the sword burn with an incredible shade of orange.

"That was not funny at all, you peasant!" Ty Lee shouted at Chie, "What did you call me?" Chie's eyes became wild flames. The battle has only begun. Toph sided with Chie. Sokka was taking care of Katara and therefore defending her from any attack since she lost her bending for some time after Ty Lee used pressure points.

Jin and Mai were facing off. Mai threw her knives at Jin, but Jin evaded every knife or even caught some and threw it back. Jin summoned up some mud and slapped them to Mai's face as she directed the flow of mud. "Yuck!" Mai said as she saw earthworms in the pile of earth.

Aang and Zuko were with Azula. "Oh, so now there are two of you against me. Well, you two won't stay alive." "Watch your mouth, Azula. I'll scrub it soon after with soap and water." Zuko muttered. "Don't do this, Azula! What do you want the throne for?" "I'm the rightful leader of this country, not this weak man you side with." Zuko unsheathed his broadswords and pointed one of them on her lips.

"You're insolent. I hate you." Toph said as Ty Lee started giving them punches. Chie blocked the fists with her sword but when she had enough distance, she made a comet-like inferno and shot it to Ty Lee's skirt. "Toph! Strike the gong!" "Right!" Toph went to the gong and struck it real hard. The noise stopped some of the people, especially Azula, who hated the noise.

As Ty Lee was distracted by the intensity of the gong, Chie ran then pressed her index and her middle fingers in the side of Ty Lee's neck…hard. Ty Lee was pained by the pressure on this point and she fell unconscious. "I learned that from my classmate." Chie motioned to Toph. She made a fire wall around Ty Lee to make sure that even if she woke up, they would still be safe.

Toph went to Katara to see if her bending was working again. Hopefully, it was. Chie stood by the gong when needed.

Mai and Jin were both covered in mud. They had been wrestling each other for the past minutes. "If you like Zuko, tell me, he's yours…when I make you rot in hell!" "Very funny." Jin said as she stood up and stomped on Mai's palm.

Mai recovered quickly and the dance of death seriously started between them.

After a while, Ty Lee rose from her unconsciousness then saw a wall of flames around her. She quickly somersaulted over the roaring flames and faced Chie, who was at the gong. "You thought I wouldn't escape, didn't you?" "You're as ugly as hell, Ty Lee!" Chie struck the gong like it was the epicenter of a magnitude 8.3 earthquake.

"Grrr!" Ty Lee growled. She ran to Chie then pressed her pressure points. "Take away my bending, I'll be fine!" Chie did lose her bending yet she did not flinch. She held her katana and started to hit Ty Lee. The gymnast blocked some of her attacks. She underestimated the young firebender. _Her bending does not work but her sword makes her a worthy opponent. Gahhh!_

Toph hurled large boulders at the acrobat and hit her square in the face. Ty Lee was left with scars, marks, bruises and blood. "Thanks, Toph!" Chie said, as she withdrew from Ty Lee. "Why you, blind brat!" as she started to run towards Toph, Chie blocked with her sword and said, "You took away my bending, but you didn't completely block my chi. Take this!"

The sword was surrounded by infernos. The infernos were little comets. Chie swished the sword then the comets hit Ty Lee and pinned her to a pillar. Suddenly, ice came out of nowhere and trapped the acrobat. Katara gave a thumbs-up to Toph and Chie. Sokka took his boomerang and cut off a part of Ty Lee's hair. "Don't give me a bad hair day!" she snorted on the ice.

"You're not a firebender. Don't try being Zuko-ish now." Katara walked away as Toph, Sokka and Chie watched over the trapped prisoner.

Azula, Aang and Zuko were in a drastic fight. Blue and orange flames lopped everything in their path. Azula's lightning wanted to scar her older brother's right eye. Aang's orange flame went through the place like wildfire. Zuko integrated his bending with blue fire. Every whip of his broadswords gave a spark of flames.

"Don't do it, Azula! If you want the throne, you and your brother could talk it over like civil citizens!" Aang said but he only received a frightening glare from the siblings. "Aang, leave us alone. I don't want anyone to interfere. This is an unsettled dispute. I'll handle it and if I die, Azula can take the throne. She'll rot in hell anyway." Zuko whispered the last sentence.

"And if Miss Lightning doesn't get the throne, ask Uncle Iroh to have the throne. He deserves it. If he dies, tell Chie to find a suitable Fire lord. If she doesn't, she must take the throne." He added as he dodged another bolt of lightning from his sister. Aang walked away hanging his head down. He found Chie, Sokka and Toph. They were guarding a prisoner, namely, Ty Lee.

"Zuko didn't want me to help. He said it was supposed to be his responsibility to defeat his sister. Chie, if Zuko does not survive, ask Uncle Iroh to be Fire lord and if he dies, you are assigned to look for a suitable ruler. If you cannot find one, you have to take the throne." Aang said, in tears. "I can't take the throne! I'm too young to take the damn throne!" Chie stomped her feet.

"Wow, she took it well." Aang said as Chie walked away. Toph, Sokka and Aang were checking up on Ty Lee. Good that she didn't escape. One down, two to go.

Chie angrily went away and took the telescope out of her belt. She held in high in the sky in the direction of the sun. Little did she know that she stomped on Jin and Mai's battleground!

Mai was blinded by the sunlight. She rubbed her eyes but as her vision recovered, the last thing she saw before she was unconscious was a kick from an earthbender's foot.

"Thanks, Chie." Jin tied Mai up with vines. Chie bound Mai with flaming chains. "No problem," Chie said, sober. Jin stole all of Mai's knives and guarded her prisoner. Two down, the hard one to go.

Toph ran after Chie. She knew those heavy and fast footsteps. "Where are you going?" Toph asked, "I'll tell Zuko that I don't want to be Fire lady when he will not survive. Bring the gong stick with you. I want to talk some sense into that guy." Toph brought along the gong stick.

At the steps of the palace…

"Now, Zuzu, are you ready to experience your own funeral pyre?" "Yes and no," he said, as he struggled to defend himself from bolts of lightning. His sleeves and robe were heavily tattered. Azula's clothing was burned. Some wounds were seen at both of their faces. She was gaining the upper hand. He wasn't better than her. That's what he _thought_. If he didn't have inner turmoil inside, lightning could have come out of his hand effortlessly.

"Hey, Fire lord. I don't want to rule if you don't survive. I'm not ready and never will I be. Besides, the people love you. I'm sure nobody in the kingdom would like a lightning-shooting Fire lady." Toph suddenly had a flashback.

_Flashback…_

_Toph and Chie were there in one big room of the palace. They even wondered how they wound up in there. Maybe the endless wandering led them. Toph bumped into a bronze gong 24 inches in diameter and hanging from a wooden frame with designs of ferns and other intricate carvings. The rope was made of abaca as she felt it._

"_Ouch! What is this metal percussion instrument that hit me?" Toph retorted, "It's a gong, duh." Chie flicked her finger into the center of the gong and it produced a soft, dry sound. "Let's look for the gong stick." "Well, Chie, what's a gong without its stick?" Toph rummaged through the shelves and drawers of the room. There were many instruments in that room. There were numerous songi horns there and quite a lot of gongs, flutes and lyres._

"_Eureka!" Chie excitedly said as she found a wooden stick with leather tied on the wooden ball at the end of that stick. "Are you going to test drive that thing?" Toph asked. "Of course!" Chie banged the stick with all her strength on the gong. It produced a loud, dry sound. "Let's bring that to Fire lord Scarface and let him know we found this little music room." "Sure!" Toph got the stick from Chie and touched it. "Hmm…there are writings on this stick." Toph said, _

"_Let me read it: 'To defeat the lady of cold fire, you must cut off her wire'. Strange but just remember it. We might use it in the future." Chie tapped her chin. "What's the cold fire? It's ironic." "Cold fire is lightning. Nah, who cares! Let's just bring this gong to Zuko and play it." Chie led Toph and the gong to the throne room._

_End flashback…_

As Chie angrily stomped her foot, Azula tried to finish her with a bolt of lightning. Chie took her katana out then electricity hit the metal of her sword. "I hate you, Azula. I'll never forgive you if you kill any of us." Zuko said as Chie's words hit his face. Chie suddenly remembered the gong stick.

Toph felt the vibrations in the ground. It was made of electricity…like lightning! "Fire lord Scarface! Catch!" Toph threw the gong stick at Zuko then he caught it as their sibling's crossfire had a short halt.

"Nice nickname, Scarface. It's a better nickname than Zuzu. What's a gong stick going to help you with, to strike my head? You amuse me, brother." Zuko paid no attention and silently read that inscriptions on the stick.

"To defeat the lady of cold fire, you must cut off her wire. _Cut off her wire? What the fuck is that? Wait…when I was little, I was taught that the chi of our body flows through the veins and the veins connect the heart to the other parts like a wire in the clothesline. I got it!_" but as fresh hope started on him, he was made unconscious by a strong bolt of lightning.

"Azula! That was a cheap shot!" Toph said as she raised a boulder; Chie readied a whip of fire. "He's weak. He deserved that." They struck her at once and gave her minor injuries. She winced in pain especially as the whip of fire lashed on her.

Jin came into the scene, the Avatar, Sokka, and Katara with her. She covered her eyes and tears flowed down from them. "Zuko…get up…get up." was their mantra. Chie and Toph stood still, frozen to the spot. They didn't know what to do now.

The Fire lord lay unconscious at the base of the steps. His broadswords were still tightly clutched in his hands. He groaned. _I'm going to lose…and die. Uncle, I wish you were here._

"_Zuko!" called out a familiar voice. "Fire lord! Wake up!" "Uncle?" "Yes! Wake up! You can't let your demented sister take the throne! You know what could happen to the entire nation! Let go of the turmoil inside of you."_

"_But uncle, I'm too weak to fight her. I can't always deflect her bolts of lightning." "You're not weak! Stand up!" "Your uncle's right, Zuko, we're here by your side." Ursa's voice came to shout. "Mom?" "Don't hesitate. Stand up and fight your sister. Jin is waiting, actually crying for you." "Do your best, Fire lord. Don't be afraid of Azula. Lightning does not make her better than you." Iroh and Ursa disappeared._

Azula was about to take the diadem of the Fire lord from its rightful head then suddenly, a pair of broadswords lashed into the air, and released tremendous bolts of lightning and blue fire. The owner of the broadswords looked vicious and deadly. His eyes burned with an angry flame towards his sister. She backed away as the sky darkened.

"So, little Zuzu knows how to use lightning already." "Shut your mouth unless you want a sword in your heart." Azula sent a bolt of lightning flying across the sky and directed it towards her brother. Her brother caught the lightning in his swords and directed it towards her. Azula's hair was messed up by the electricity. The Fire lord lashed out all his anger in her direction. In a split second, he was in front of her. He squeezed her hand and shook it angrily.

Jin and Aang watched carefully. Sokka and Katara didn't take the suspense well, so together with Chie and Toph, they all called out, "GO ZUKO! YEAH! WHO'S THE FIRE LORD? Z-U-K-O!"

"Goodnight, Azula," he firmly grasped her hand and broke through her wrist bone until he heard them crack. He dug his nails into her vein until blood came out. As a finishing move, he sent numerous bolts of lightning at her heart. Azula fell down. She wasn't dead, just in a coma.

The sky became bright again as the tired ruler climbed up the stairs. "Thank you, Toph." He gave back the gong stick. "You won't face your fear of ruling, Chie." "Thanks." They were all in a big group hug. Ty Lee and Mai were released to bring Azula somewhere else. The two were afraid to ever attack the Fire lord again.

Jin, Aang, Sokka, Chie, Toph and Katara embraced him tightly. He survived and he has released lightning bolts. The fight lasted until dinner. Now this was the start of a reign, a reign that will be peaceful until the death of their leader.

"That fight was tiring!" "It sure was. Let's all eat dinner! Lamb chops on main course!" "Yeah!"

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-TDYSG

Please review! Pretty please with icing on top? Please!


	7. Night of Apparitions

Agh! Please review! I know I may be ranting and maybe even wasting your time but your little comments go a long way. You can request fics! I promise! You can even request me to edit a chapter. Your wish is my command. Cheesy one-liners will do as reviews.

Disclaimer: You know that I don't own A: TLA and the Japanese and Filipino ghosts mentioned here. The only things I own are this plot box in my head and a rough chibi sketch of Katara and Season 2 Zuko. Anyway, where did I put those again? And I forgot; if you want to see my ugly drawing, please don't hesitate to PM me.

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Chapter 7: Night of Apparition

Great Hall of the Fire Nation Palace…

"That fight was awesome! I wish I had a videotape of that fight!" Aang said, as he drunk a whole bowl of crab and corn soup. "That tired me a lot," the Fire lord said as he stretched out his joints. "I thought I was doing the 'Dance of Death' with Mai." Jin smiled.

"Ty Lee could take my bending away but she can't take my spunk away." Katara smirked as she saw Sokka greedily get another steak. "What? Men need their food!" Sokka said as everyone looked at him.

"You should have done it in a more civilized way." Toph crossed her arms and continued eating the leg of ham in front of her. "Toph, thank you for the things you did in our fight with Ty Lee. I must admit that she took my bending away but she only pressed my pressure points half of the time needed to block one's chi." Chie said to Toph, who was beside her.

"I heard the clanking of your sword. The fires you created with that katana were roaring like your fighting spirit. You're a worthy general." Toph praised. "Thanks!" Chie returned to gobbling down the lamb chops.

That night…

The whole gang had a nice hot bath in their private bathrooms. They needed to soothe their aching joints from the intense fighting.

Toph's room

"That bath with the lily petals was so refreshing. I never thought that Fire Nation hot tubs were soothing to the body." Toph remarked as she entered her room, fully dressed.

Toph went to bed in a plain yellow Korean dress. She pulled out her headband and let her hair go wild. She pulled down the golden curtains from the bedposts and canopy as she laid her head on the soft mattress. The pillows were colored gold and her bedcovers and blanket were yellow. She kept her headband at a side table. She listened to the flickering of the flames that lulled her to a good sleep. Her unseeing eyes smiled as she slept in a warm and comfortable room. The windows were closed, Toph didn't even think of opening them.

In Chie's room…

"My back hurt a while ago. It doesn't now. At least a bath with chamomile and lavender oils did the trick. Lighting the aromatic candles was good too." Chie said as she stretched her lithe form on her bed. She let down her shoulder-length glossy black hair.

She was wearing a knee-length, red top with a black sash on her waist. She also wore loose, flared black trousers under her robe. From the canopy of her bed were red curtains. She arranged them in a way that they would frame the view of the doorway but not obstruct her. She placed her katana at the side of her bed so as not to feel helpless. She kept a silver cross necklace at the side table as she slept together with her ponytail. She was in a room with red bedcovers and fluffy black pillows. The fire in the hearth seemed to roar vigorously. Her windows were half-open, but a good amount of wind came in her room.

In Sokka and Katara's room…

"I am so tired even though I didn't fight much. Maybe caring for my sister did it." Sokka said to himself. "Sokka, I'm taking the bed. You're taking the floor." Katara interrupted his thinking process. Of course, Sokka cannot argue so he slept on the silver-carpeted floor with a sleeping bag and a pillow.

Katara was amazed by the size of the bed. It had a wooden canopy and bedposts. It must be antique. Silver drapings, pillows and bedcovers dominated the sleeping place. The fire in the room was only small, because waterbenders don't like fire quite a lot. She was wearing a blue kimono and Sokka was wearing his usual Water tribe clothes. Katara let down her hair loops and her braids. "Well, good night, Sokka." But the only thing that answered her was a loud snore. Katara shook her head in dismay and put her waterskin in a side table. She let the curtains stay up. The windows were opened but a screen to deter mosquitoes and flies were there.

In Aang's room…

"The salt bath…ah, I want to do it again tomorrow morning. I wonder how Appa's doing. I hope he's having a good night sleep like what I'm gonna have." The Avatar straightened out his monk's robe and blew some air into the hearth to make the fires stronger.

The room had yellow and red objects, mostly. The drapes on the bed were red but the pillows and covers were in different shades of yellow. Aang chose not to close the drapes. He placed his staff on the side of his bed to be ready when something suspicious comes. As Aang placed his bald head on the pillow, he sighed comfortably as the sandman dropped sand into his eyes. The fire was cheerful in the room. There was a vase of panda lilies in the other side table of the bed. The windows were opened to let the cool breeze in.

In Jin and Zuko's room…

"I'm so tired. Help me out here, Jin." Zuko said as he plopped down on the red sheets and pillows. The drapes were flying in the wind like the trees outside. "You really look tired, Zuzu. Here, let me give you a massage but you have to pay me afterwards." Jin said with a faux look of worry in her face. The fire in the room was roaring like crazy. The Fire lord placed his broadswords at the side table.

"Holy crap, Jin, I'm not paying you. As my fiancée, of course you have to do it for free," the young Fire lord said, propping himself on his left elbow. He took off his red shirt and threw it at the floor by his bed. He missed the little table. He just let his clothes fly in the room and land anywhere possible. He'll fix it anyway tomorrow morning. Jin smiled as she straightened out some wrinkles in her green nightgown.

"You're so gullible. I don't expect you to pay me!" Jin started rubbing his back in a steady, circular motion. "That's better. Keep on." She continued applying bits of pressure to his sore muscles at every stroke of her thumb and palm. He sighed with comfort as she moved her soft hands to his shoulders. Using her index and middle fingers, Jin rubbed the part of his shoulders here the bone was located. "You could be a masseuse for a living." Zuko joked, "Unless you become my wife."

"I'd rather be the Fire lady than a masseuse anyway." Jin laughed as she went to rub his arms. She held his strong arms and was shocked when he suddenly pulled her down and he was on top. She blushed because she knew what was going to happen. He went down on her and leaned in for a hot, steamy, passionate kiss.

"So, you were just feigning tiredness, huh?" "Yeah, I did feign. Well, maybe we can do this some other time. Will be that okay with you?" "It will be. I'm drained of my entire chi, I guess." He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and pulled down the maroon sheet over her. "Good night, my love." "Good night, Zuzu." He embraced her tightly as they closed their tired eyes.

In the middle of the night…

Toph was sleeping soundly until vibrations near her suddenly floated out of nowhere. Lady Bei Fong's sweet slumber was roused when her hands touched a thick, oozing liquid. It came from the canopy of the bed and it also stained the bedposts. It was red, smelly, and thick and it oozed like crazy. The Blind Bandit wasn't having her monthly visitor and she didn't have serious wounds.

She smelled the liquid and backed away. It smelled like decomposing material. She licked the liquid then took the sheets and wiped it off her tongue. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" she screamed loudly heard by all of the rooms in that hall.

Sokka took his boomerang along with him. Katara sleepily took her waterskin and went outside of their room. "Who's screaming at three in the morning?" Katara said, groggy.

Chie was roused by the loudness of the sound. She muttered curse words under her breath. She took her katana, wore her slippers and grunted. She wore her hair in a decent half-ponytail, took her silver cross necklace and marched outside.

Aang knew Toph's scream anywhere. He abruptly took his staff and ran out of the room just to look for her.

Zuko and Jin were sleeping soundly until they heard the bloodcurdling scream. "Aww…fuck," he muttered while wearing his shirt. "Wake up, Jin. I think there's a robbery going on." Jin handed Zuko his broadswords and they went to Toph's room while rubbing their eyes.

At Toph's room…

Everybody charged into the room. They saw blood everywhere, on the walls, on the ceiling, on the floor, on the bed. Toph was huddling up inside the bed. The sheets were soaked in blood. Chie cut the curtains open with her katana. Toph wore her headband with fear.

"Toph! Are you okay?" Katara embraced Toph and led her away from the bloody bed. "Sure, I'm fine. Why is my bed covered in blood? I don't have a monthly visitor!" Toph shivered as the group went around. "Everyone, look at the wall. Read the writings. They're written in blood!" Sokka warned, "Die, Fire lord. Die…Die…Die!" Jin said as she read the writings.

"Crap! The palace is haunted by some idiotic ghost? Let's get this over with!" Zuko took his broadswords as they searched the palace. "Come on! As if ghosts are real!" Chie leaned on a bookshelf outside Toph's room. Suddenly, the bookshelf opened up to reveal a secret passage. She winced as her bottom hit the floor. "Dammit." Chie stood up.

"Are we going in?" Aang asked, "Fire lord Scarface, light the way." Zuko made a flame that went ahead of them as they entered the dark stairway. As soon as all of them entered the tunnel, the bookshelf closed. Katara tried to kick the shelf, "Oww! Urgh!" she muttered.

Sokka hugged his knees and went into a fetal position and started whimpering as he swung back and forth. "Coward." Toph crossed her arms. "Stand up, Sokka. We have to know what the hell is happening." Chie said in a commanding stance. Sokka stood up shivering and stayed close to his younger sister.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they found a torch-lit hallway that was 20 times taller than they were. It seemed to have no end. Zuko let go of his flame as it disappeared. "It's so scary. Why do they have skeletons chained here?" Katara whimpered, "This must've been a secret dungeon." Jin said.

"I feel something coming!" Toph said as her foot moved. The gang got their weapons ready then suddenly, it was just a rat. "Phew! I thought that was something to be scared of." Sokka wiped the sweat off his brow. "Wait! I hear heavy footsteps. Get ready!" Chie said, making an orange inferno on her sword. Suddenly, the scent of fresh blood inhabited the air.

Then, a headless ghost came out of the hallway. It seemed to look for its head or some other head. It was the source of the blood! As it came forward, Toph was terrified as Katara described to her what the ghost looked like.

"It's a Kubikajiri! It's found when it is late already. It feasts on the heads of the dead and the living. If we don't want to get headhunted, we'd better fight!" Toph said, with worry. "I'm taking care of that!" Jin went in first and summoned boulders as they simultaneously hit the creature. Boulders kept on hitting.

Chie tied her cross necklace to her head and concentrated as she made flames. White and blue comets with crosses inside whirled over to the kubikajiri. It hit the ghost square in the heart. The ghost was burned in holy flame and boulders. It became only a speck of ash. The ghost was not given a chance to hurt them.

"That was easy. We have to stay as a group. It is the only way for us to survive. If you hear anything strange, tell us." Zuko said, as he led the group through the torch-lit hallway. The walls were made of obsidian and volcanic sand. Jin and Aang were by his side. Sokka and Toph guarded the back. Katara and Chie were at either side. They went through the wide hallway until Aang hit a large white wall.

"Oww! My nose!" Aang grunted as the group went to all sides but the same happened. "What should we do with this wall?" "It's a nurikabe. It will fall on us and crush us if we keep trying to pass through. My aunt said that we should strike the bottom of these walls with a stick in order to get out." Katara said.

Aang took his staff and whacked the bottom of the wall hard. He whacked the other walls that surrounded them. The walls crumbled into rubble as the gang continued to wander the hallways but they were going nowhere. They kept going to the same place even if they kept going around and around.

"I think we're coming back to the same place over and over again. I'll put my shoe here. Let's see!" Sokka put his shoe on the floor. When they walked again, they found Sokka's shoe in the same place.

"Wait a second! We're being haunted by a _tikbalang_, a TIHK-baaaaaa-laaahng!" Sokka said. "It's the reverse of a centaur. It lives on banyan trees. It confuses people who are not careful. It can also make illusions. We should be careful. These creatures are really playful and if you're a woman, he can rape you!" Sokka added. Jin embraced Zuko tightly due to fear. Toph embraced Sokka and so did Katara. Chie was standing alone, unafraid.

"We can stop this creature if we put on our dresses and robes backward. Everybody close your eyes as we put our garments backward." Sokka said as everyone shut their eyes as they put their clothes on backward. The illusions stopped and they were now heading the right way. The _tikbalang _had been laughing its head off in the shadows when he saw their backward dresses and robes.

After that, they put their clothes right back on. They came to the end of the hallway. It was a large, wooden door with a metal ring as a knob. Toph kicked the door open. They came to the wrong place. It was filled with witches who brought along voodoo dolls that looked exactly like them. There were thirteen of them. They were ugly old women with warts in their faces and needles.

"Holy crap! They're _mangkukulams_! Sorcerers, witches! Let's just make them not torture us and get out of here!" Jin shivered.

"Jin! Get a hold of yourself! Look at what I have here!" Zuko said, holding all the dolls of them. "What the hell did you do, Zuzu?!" "I burned those ugly witches when you guys were stunned!" they took off all the things found on the dolls and they put it in their pockets.

They wandered into the large room. In the middle was a cauldron filled with some weird potion formula. They found another door. What could be behind it? They opened the metal door and found themselves in a forest. But the forest was scary and filled with banyan trees and other creepy trees.

Zuko unsheathed his broadswords and brandished them. He put a large blue flame in one sword as their torch in the dark forest. The moon was full yet so scary. They were vigilant of wherever they had to go. They heard the flapping of bat's wings. A strong wind followed after hearing the bat's wings. They leaned on a wide tree to hide.

"Shh! be silent, everyone. I think there's a_ manananggal _here. It's a Philippine vampire. It separates from the waist during sundown. Wings with a span of 5-7 meters sprout from their backs. Their lower body is left somewhere in their houses. They may look like normal people during the morning, but they're hideous and bloodthirsty during night. They have long tongues and they love eating liver, which by the way, I hate eating. They can only be defeated by putting salt, vinegar or chili peppers on their lower half. That way, they cannot return to their lower halves and the sunlight will kill them. These creatures are also afraid of fire." Chie shivered at the thought of liver. She shone an inferno over the forest.

"Remind me never to sleep in that room, ever again!" Toph screamed. "Toph, you dumb-dumb! The manananggal will find us!" "I think it already did, Chie." Aang looked sharply at what was in front of them. It was a woman, an ugly one.

The creature had bloodshot eyes. Her face was as pale as the cold moonlight. Her mouth had thousands of fangs all colored by blood. Her wire-like strands of hair drooped to the forest floor. She wore a torn black dress. Her bloody intestines trailed from her upper body. She licked her face with her long, thread-like tongue. Her wings were long and were as leathery as bat's wings. She gave them a venomous smile. Her eyes scanned them from head to toe.

"I think that the handsome young man will do as my breakfast, lunch and dinner." She pointed a clawed finger to Zuko. "I'll admit it. I poured the blood on Lady Bei Fong's bedroom and my name is Yala." Toph was surprised that she knew who she was.

"If you want him, you have to go through me, through us first!" Jin stomped her foot. Chie kept her silver cross necklace on her forehead. She summoned a large wall of holy blue flame as the gang ran away. They were panting as they went through the forest, trying to escape the fast-flying manananggal. She landed on the floor in front of the group and she smiled.

"Found you now!" she cackled loudly. Toph sent a flying boulder to her wing. "That was a cheap shot, isn't it, blind one?" she laughed sinisterly. "Oww!" the creature winced as a whip of water slapped and wounded her face. Katara smiled as she whipped the creature with excruciating grace and skill. "Come back here!" Yala flew after their retreating forms.

"We have to find the creature's lower half!" Jin said, "Look out!" the whole group stopped in their tracks when they found a pile of mango fruit and branches that fell out from the tree. They kicked out the fruits, branches and dried leaves. They found a bloody thing underneath the branches. It was the manananggal's lower half.

"We don't have salt, pepper or vinegar? What should we do?" Sokka asked, paranoid. "Aswangs and manananggals are afraid of fire. We have to try and burn them. The manananggal may come here to look for it. Sunrise is nearing!" Chie said as she saw the sky.

"Chie! Let's burn it, now!" Zuko released lightning and blue flame as he diced the lower half using his daos. Chie used orange and blue infernos with her katana simultaneously as they burned the lower half into ashes. The lower half was reduced to dust.

"Toph! Look out!" Aang said as he shielded her. The manananggal looked at the group furiously. They distanced away from her in the fear of being bitten and turned into these ugly creatures themselves.

"Where did you put my lower half?" "We burned it." Jin gamely answered. "Why you…" the manananggal's sentence was cut off as the sun rose in its beauty. It was afraid of the sun. Zuko and Chie blazed giant flames that engulfed the manananggal as it received triple burns, including those from the sun.

The forest disappeared and in place, it became the Fire Nation Palace Garden. It became a very peaceful day. They found out that there were many people that had died in this palace. Now they have exorcised and pleased the spirits, the palace never heard shouts or screams again.

* * *

-TDYSG

Please read and review!


	8. Closing the End

Okay, this is the darned last chapter of my story. Please feel free to give your last comments on this story. Please, I hope you'll like this one. I edited this too much to the point of scanning everything.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own ATLA. Is that enough?

* * *

Chapter 8: Closing the End

A few days later…

Fire Nation mornings in the palace were so boring for Zuko unless he wasn't in the throne room. Who would be entertained by just sitting at your throne, under a big wooden canopy, behind a wall of flame, on a dais and surrounded by pillars and curtains?

"Fire lord Zuko, Lady Jin!" a young girl went into the throne room. "Uh…what is it?" he asked, yawning, bored from just sitting. "All the things needed for the Fire Festival are ready!" she said, bowing before the emperor. "At last! I'm sooooo excited to go to the festival!" Jin jumped in joy.

"Well, that's a good sign. Does everyone know about this?" Zuko asked, reluctant. "Of course, sir! They're so happy that you helped in the drastic preparations." "Um…thanks!" he scratched his head. The young girl ran outside the throne room, only to be greeted by five people.

"Miss Katara, Mister Sokka, Avatar Aang, Lady Toph, Lady Chay!" the young girl bowed in respect, "It's not Chay! It's Chie! Chi-yeh!" the female firebender fumed. "Sorry, Lady Chie!" the girl smiled as she apologized. Chie just shrugged and grinned.

"Hey, Fire lord Scarface, are you coming with us to the Fire Festival?" Toph darted her unseeing dark green eyes in the direction of the Fire lord. "Of course I will and I'm bringing Jin along!" Zuko held Jin's hand tightly. "Sokka and I are coming too. I wish that this festival would be a big success. Aang, did you stock up on incense fireworks?" Katara said, her cerulean orbs glowing with brightness.

Aang held up a large carton filled with incense fireworks with a big grin plastered on his face. "Zuko, there are 350 incense fireworks in this box. We're gonna make these babies party!" Zuko's eyes almost went out of his sockets. "Three hundred sixty-five incense fireworks! Uncle will kill me if he sees me playing with those stuff!"

"Oh, Fire lord Zuko, it will be fine! You were just a kid then!" Uncle Iroh came inside from nowhere. "But you always told me not to play with them!" he retorted. "You're older now, you can set those incense fireworks on fire until sky's the limit. Just don't write your name on the roof of the palace."

"Yay! I'm going to use fireworks! I'm going to burn them! Yayyyyy!" Zuko said, while everyone glared at him, as he shot firebolts everywhere while running on the dais in his happy mode. At least the servants didn't see him. "You're acting like a toddler." Toph sarcastically said. "Oh. I'm going to burn some incense fireworks." Zuko said in a more mature way.

"Goodbye, now, nephew, have fun. I'll try to be there…if my rheumatism doesn't stop me." Iroh smiled. "Thanks, uncle."

"Chie, if you're going to the festival, at least look decent! You're a noble but you dress like a…a…a… a peasant!" he pointed at her. She was wearing her hair in a ponytail but a loose lock swung freely on her face. She wore a red Japanese samurai top but with one sleeve torn. Her black Fire Nation skirt was torn with tiny of medium rips. She wore black tights underneath, the only clothing that she wore that didn't have any rips.

"Don't worry, Zuzu. I'll help her get ready." Jin said, kissing the Fire lord's sweet cheek. "I will, too." Katara said. She was the picture of good grooming and so was Jin. "Uh…guys? Where will I put these incense fireworks?" "Just put them in the storeroom, Aang-dude." Sokka smiled. "Sure!" Aang happily hopped away and looked for the storage room.

"Chie, I know that you don't care about appearances but this is too much. You're just like me. I've never heard of you fix your image. Sometimes, you have to be yourself, but now, you have to show people that you can be beautiful, in your own way." Toph put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Toph." Chie said as tears fell down from her golden brown eyes. She wiped them off and stopped crying. "I didn't realize that you were so numb, Chie. You've forgotten how to cry." Jin said, feeling sympathy. "It makes me feel weak to cry. That's why I avoid it." The young authoress-firebender scowled.

"Aww! Stop crying everyone! Let's just be happy!" Aang came back into the throne room, happy. "The festival will be tonight. Let's just pick out our clothes so that we won't rush later." Sokka suggested. "That would be a great idea, for something that comes out from the mouth of a mindless peasant." The Fire lord said, grinning mischievously.

"And for that, Sokka. We're choosing your clothes first." Katara beamed with an innocent smile.

In the Fire palace's clothing room…

"No way am I wearing that!" Sokka's jaw dropped as he saw the red kimono hanging in front of him, dangling in Toph's fingers. "I'm not wearing anything colored with Fire nation colors!" "You have no choice. You're in my territory and I am the law." Zuko said with an authoritative tone. "Maybe they still have something that isn't Fire Nation colored." Jin said. Zuko rummaged through the closet, piles of clothes burying Chie, as she tried to dodge the clothes coming on top of her.

"Eureka!" Zuko said, as he pulled out a cheongsam. It was like the color of Katara's bending water, only that it was made of silk and opaque. It was made of a button-up top with upturned collars with silver linings and dark trousers with Water Tribe insignias in a pattern on the hem of the pants.

"Wow! These clothes are so beautiful!" Sokka rushed into the dressing room and changed into the wonderful blue suit. When he came out, he looked like a prince of the Water Tribe.

"Toph. Now is your turn to have your clothes." Jin said. "As if I can see them." She said sarcastically. "We'll help you." Chie said, popping out from the piles of clothes that Zuko had thrown on top of her. The carpet under her was unseen; the clothes were just too much. Aang used airbending to return the clothes into their original places.

Chie sat on the velvet chair beside her, looking at the many mirrors in that room. She crossed her legs and tapped her fingers to her lips as Jin took out three dresses that were with Earth Kingdom colors.

"Let Toph wear the first dress, the green one." Chie raised her eyebrows. As soon as she saw Toph in it, she cringed, making a face. The green dress had a very short skirt. It also had no straps. It hugged Toph's figure too much. Katara hid Sokka's eyes.

"What?" Toph asked, "Take it off!" Chie covered her golden brown eyes. Toph returned to the dressing room to wear her original clothing. As she came out, Chie handed her a long green and yellow gown. It had lace all over and had a large Earth Kingdom symbol at the back. Toph wore it and came out.

"Chie, I'm gonna trip on this thing. It's too long!" Toph complained. Chie shut her eyes and handed her a yellow hanbok. It had intricate designs on it. There were golden beads on the hems with Earth Kingdom symbols. The beads were made of glass and some semiprecious stones. There was a golden sash. As Toph came out, she was greeted by applause. Zuko whistled in a perverted way that made Toph blush. Jin was so impressed.

"Alright, Toph. Take the kimono off. We'll reserve it for later." Katara said, with tears in her eyes. Toph really was pretty. "Kat! It's your turn." Toph said, giving Katara a nickname.

"Katara, look at what I found from Zuko's clothes rubbish heap." Jin picked up a silver yukata. It had imprints of blue Water Tribe symbols on it. The hems had fur trim, polar bear trim. The gown was made of silk and it felt so light.

When Katara wore it in the dressing room, she stepped out soon enough and received a cheer from Sokka. Everyone was howling. It was a pretty yukata. Katara put back her normal clothes on and asked Jin to humiliate Aang with clothes.

Zuko sat on the carpet, wondering what kind of stupidity would the Avatar do now. He stood up, sat on a long velvet chair and propped his body on one elbow.

"Aang! Would this be okay with you?" Jin handed a sleeveless robe up to the knee. It was red and yellow, alternating air spirals on the cloth. Aang took it and wore it inside the dressing room.

"I think you're done, Tinkle toes! Come out!" Toph sneered. "It's embarrassing!" "I won't see you anyway!" Aang went out, blushing mad. "Nice legs, Avatar. Do you shave?" Zuko said. "I don't." the Avatar said, embarrassed. Jin took out a robe. It was still yellow and red. It was soft silk. The panels of the robe were free and light but the robe only reached up to the thigh. There were yellow trousers too, made of velvet. Jin pushed him to try it on.

When Aang came out, everyone was stunned. It was perfect on him! The Avatar really just doesn't master the elements of nature. He also masters the elements of style. Aang went back in, to return to his regular clothes and smiled in happiness.

"Zuzu! You're next." "Oh no." the Fire lord slapped his forehead as he heard the two worst words in the world from his fiancée. Chie picked out all the red clothes in the cabinet that could be worn by men of the Fire Nation. "Pick your top three out of the five." Chie hung all of them in front of his face. Zuko took the three that he wanted. Chie kept the two away as the Fire lord stormed into the dressing room.

"Alright. Let's see what number one was." Chie closed her eyes as he went out of the room. Jin drooled like crazy, her spit wetting the ground. "Hey, Jin, don't do that!" Sokka pushed her away. Katara hid her eyes for the sake of chastity. Toph stayed in her normal way, lying back in her chair. Aang's eyes bulged from their sockets.

"Guys, I feel so awkward in this. This vest doesn't even have buttons!" Zuko growled. He was wearing a maroon vest that reached to his knees. It was sleeveless. The vest didn't have buttons and it showed his chiseled physique. He wore black pants that were flared. There were Fire Nation insignias on the hems.

"Wear the next one! Wear the next one!" Sokka, Aang and Chie chorused. "What's the problem with what he's wearing?" Toph asked. "His vest has no buttons and he did not wear a shirt inside it." Chie said. "Take it off, Scarface!" Toph said, drooling. Everyone snapped out of his or her trances. Zuko came out wearing an all black cheongsam with red Fire Nation symbols. "Hmm…too plain this time." Jin said. "Too plain." Katara said, bluntly.

When the Fire lord came out again in his last ensemble, the loudest applause echoed in the room. He wore a red kimono top with black hems. On those hems were the symbols of the Fire Nation. The sleeves were long but they were not too flowy. From his left shoulder to his right him was a tied sash. It was black but with red and gold outlines. His trousers were black but they had red beads sewed on them, making intricate and delicate patterns. He was happy. "Now, Jin, it's your turn." Zuko said as he came out of the dressing room in his Fire lord robe.

Jin rummaged through the closet and found two green gowns. She jumped to the dressing room and came out quickly.

"Holy shit, Jin! Take it off!" Zuko said, closing his eyes. "Dammit, Jin! Take it off!" Chie said, hiding. The robe that Jin wore had a low neckline. It was so revealing. The bodice hugged her womanly curves. The skirt was flowy but it had a high slit from the ankle to the thigh.

"Jin, it's too revealing. Even Zuko had to hide." Aang said. Toph yawned. Jin went back inside to try the other green dress. This time, it was to everyone's delight. It was a green and gold version of a Fire lady's robe.

"Wait a second! That was my mom's dress!" the Fire lord gasped. "It's so…pretty!" Katara said, and so did Sokka. "Jin, you're so beautiful." Zuko said. "Thanks." Jin went back to wearing her regular clothes.

"Chie, it's your turn now." "Aww…do I have to, Katara?" she asked. "I found the perfect one for you." Katara hung a robe on Chie's ponytail. She slammed the door of the dressing room. When she came out, she was a picture of self-confidence and grace.

She wore a long red robe. It had raised shoulder sleeves outlined with black and gold. The satin dress had two layers on the bodice like Ursa's clothing. The skirt was long and soft. Its maroon color had not faded for a long time. It was like the clothes of Zuko's mother, only that the sleeves were not very big.

"Well?" Chie put her hands on her hips. Tears came out of Katara's eyes. Everyone clapped. There was shouting. "If ever you were my daughter, I would have let you take the throne." Zuko said. "I'm not royalty, just nobility." The dress picking was over at last. They were ready for the big festival later that night.

That night…

As everyone had a good bath as they prepared themselves for the beauty of the festival, the hardest to beautify was Chie.

"Chie, you know, I think you're pretty but you have to take care of yourself. You seem to make yourself suffer everyday." "Don't repeat that, Lady Bei Fong. Hmm…Jin, there's something wrong with your hair." Chie pulled off the ponytail on the Fire lord's fiancée's hair. Jin's brown tresses fell gracefully on her shoulders. "That's better." Aang remarked.

The young firebender's tanned skin and tomboyish attitude was so hard to deal with. "Chie! Keep still! I'm trying to make your hair prettier!" Katara said, trying to fix her jet-black hair. The brush almost broke from trying to take the tangles out.

"How could I keep still? Toph's done and she looks like what she was in the Earth King's party in Ba Sing Se but I'm hopeless!" the girl retorted, shooting a comet of fire at Katara, almost burning her gown. "Katara let me do this." Jin held her shoulder-length hair and tried to see what would do. Jin suddenly had an idea. She tied the short-tempered lady's hair into a half-ponytail with a topknot that was customary for noblewomen of the Fire Nation.

"How do you like this one, Chie?" "It's fine." She smiled in satisfaction. She channeled some heat to her fingers and curled her finger at the tip of her locks. When she released it, the tips of her hair were slightly curled. She smiled a bit more.

"Jin, Zuko, go ahead. We'll just fix Lady wire-hair's black locks and then we'll go." Sokka said, insulting one crabby firebender. "Call me wire-hair again and I'll shave all of your hair off." Chie said, with a fire blazing on her palm. Jin and Zuko, though unsure to leave the palace with these five, especially with a temperamental one in the group.

"Oh, come on. It's as if a camellia flower and a rose on your hair will hurt!" Sokka replied. "That gives me an idea!" Toph said. She went to the flower vase, knowing its exact location in the room using her feet. She took out eight red roses from the vase, took out the thorns and slammed it in front of the mirror.

Katara was stunned to find out that the stems were soft. She bent the stems and tied them on the black ponytail holding a part of Chie's hair. When she had finished the eight roses, Aang was impressed with Katara's ways. He had been falling more for her lately. He stood lovesick at the doorway, eyes set on Katara.

"There, finished." Katara smiled at her work. Sokka said, "Bravo! Bravo!" in sarcasm. "Thank you, Katara." Chie smiled. Toph yawned because she couldn't see anything. What is there to look at anyway if you're blind? They were in their most beautiful appearances. They went out of the palace and came to the largest thoroughfare of the metropolis just in time to watch the Fire lord cut the ribbon and officially open the festival.

At the center of the Fire Festival…

At a large dais on the center of the large boulevard, were a ribbon and a gong. Behind that platform were all the booths and stalls of food and souvenirs for the Fire Festival. The Fire lord stood there, proud. He was a sight to behold in a red kimono top with black hems. On those hems were the symbols of the Fire Nation. The sleeves were long but they were not too flowy. From his left shoulder to his right him was a tied sash. It was black but with red and gold outlines. His trousers were black but they had red beads sewed on them, making intricate and delicate patterns.

Together with him was his fiancée, Jin, who was wearing a green and gold version of a Fire lady's robe. Her wavy brown hair cascaded like a waterfall on her graceful shoulders. If you had one sexy Fire lord sitting on the throne, he must have an equally attractive fiancée or wife.

"I don't see Katara, Chie, Aang, Sokka and Toph anywhere." Jin said, scanning the place as many people soon encircled the dais. "The idiots are here." Zuko pulled her and pointed to five breathless people climbing the dais. "Good heavens that they're here. Ooh, and Chie has roses in her hair." "And she was the most stubborn when it comes to being styled." Zuko teased.

"Now, as your Fire lord, I declare the Fire Festival officially open!" Zuko said, cutting the ribbon, as Jin struck the gong with all her might. Soldiers at the wall near that boulevard released the many loud colorful fireworks with intricate designs to the black moonless sky. The stars were there and they seemed to befriend the explosives.

The multitudes of people were so happy. The food tasted better for that festival and the prices were easier on the pocket. When the war was over, prices returned to their normal budget-easy state. The games in the booths were so funny. Red and orange lanterns hung from everywhere.

Aang showed the big box of incense fireworks that he brought. Toph grinned smugly, no way were the others making her use those incense fireworks. An old, fat man came running to the seven as they turned to leave.

"Nephew! Nephew! I'm here!" "Uncle, you came!" "I guess my rheumatism gave me a break. Shall we now eat or we'll do something before we eat?" Iroh asked the gang, "We'll do something fun before we screw the food." Zuko said, smiling venomously. He motioned to Aang to give him the box of incense fireworks.

Zuko opened them as everyone looked curiously, except Iroh, who was engrossed at looking at the colorful display of fireworks in the sky. "What will we do with those?" Katara asked.

"Watch this!" Zuko took seven incense fireworks and lit them with his firebending. He gave each of them a stick. Zuko wrote something on the ground with the incense firework stick and showed it to his uncle while everyone fell to the floor, laughing.

"Uncle, Uncle, look what I wrote!" Zuko blew the incense firework stick to take the fire off. He pointed to the ground as his uncle said, "What is he going to do now?" Iroh almost fainted when he saw the writing on the soil.

"Iroh and Ursa sitting on a spirit wolf, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Jin teased; as Sokka made kissing sounds and Toph laughed so hard that she almost slapped Katara. Chie was busy eating a stick of barbecue while Toph was laughing with her. Chie blew off the fire on her incense firework and dipped it in a bucket of water near Katara.

"Zuko! Come on, nephew! Don't be like that!" Iroh blushed, "It just proves that he likes her!" Zuko laughed, then a voice interrupted from the shadows. "Who likes who?" a middle-aged female voice asked.

"Mom? It was nothing!" "Well, Ursa, uhm…uhm…Zuko wrote something on the ground with an incense firework and you should read it." "Interesting. Now, Zuko, leave that box of incense fireworks with your Uncle Iroh and me. We'll have our own kind of fun. Go now, just for a little while." Ursa ruffled her son's hair. _My son has grown up to be such a handsome boy. Just like his father. But his face is gentler than Ozai's. _She kissed her son's cheek and waved goodbye. The seven went away with evil, perverted smiled on their faces.

"What will we do with these flaming sticks?" Toph asked indifferently. "Dip them in water." Aang said, as he bended the water from a nearby pail at Chie's feet and doused the flames on their sticks. "Well, let's eat!" Katara said, motioning to the others to follow to a restaurant.

As the seven were eating, bento boxes or anything else, they were enjoying the food but Sokka was enjoying too much. After eating, the seven parted ways. Zuko, Jin and Chie returned to the Fire palace, Katara, Sokka, Aang and Toph partied harder in the festival.

In the Fire Palace, in the room of Zuko and Jin…

Jin was first into the room. She had locked it for nobody to sneak on her. She bathed in the bathtub with the comfy warmth of the water and dressed up for the night, clean and refreshed. She let her hair down the way it was a while ago. She opened the door and saw Zuko.

"Have a nice bath, you look sweaty, my lord." "No need for pleasantries, Jin." Zuko went inside the bathroom and came out, dressed in clothes that clung to his body. He held his fiancée by the waist and led her to the balcony.

"Those fireworks are beautiful and so are the moon and stars." Jin looked upon the dark sky, dreamy. "They're beautiful but none of them can ever compare to you." Zuko kissed her cheek. "Hey, guys, reserve your perv factors after your marriage unless I'm obliged to watch and even have a threesome." Chie interrupted from the bedposts.

"Kinky ideas, authoress but you won't see us in action." "You're right, Fire lord Zuzu. I won't see you, but have a nice marriage. Be nice to her." Chie said, as if she would go home.

That night…

Katara, Aang, Sokka and Toph came home at midnight, heavily drunk. They plopped on their beds or rooms, uncaring of wherever they could lay their heads on. Jin and Zuko were already asleep at that time.

A few hours before midnight, Chie readied her stuff into bag. She took her katana with her, took off the garments she wore for the Fire Festival and changed into her usually torn clothing. She folded the fine clothing and stuffed it in her bag. She took a pen, some ink and a piece of paper and wrote a note.

Tearfully, she left the note at the center of her bed. She shut the door and went to the dark garden of the Fire Palace. She cried and put her palm up in the air. "Goodbye, Fire lord Scarface, Jin, Toph, Katara, Aang and Sokka. I'll never forget you." Chie said, as a large pillar of flames appeared in front of her. It split into half, revealing a portal. She entered and she set foot, the pillar portal disappeared.

The next morning…

Lady Jin was awakened by loud knocking at the door, "Lady Jin, Lord Zuko, Lady Chie is gone!" a servant called out at the door. "What!" Jin and Zuko chorused. The Fire lord wore his shirt, ran to the door and was shocked. Jin followed soon. A servant, Aang, Toph, Katara and Sokka were there.

"We looked for her everywhere, your highness. She's gone." The servant bowed her head. "We asked the palace guards. Nobody left last night after midnight." Katara said. "But we found this." Toph gave Jin a piece of paper.

"Dear everyone, I had to come back home. I know you'll miss me but I'll try to come back as soon as possible. I had to come back home because my family needed me and they might be worrying. I don't come from this world. I come from the real world and you know that. I don't know when will I come back. Zuko and Jin, have a happy marriage. Toph, be who you are. Stay the same. Katara, don't change, be the same cool waterbender I knew. Aang, protect the world. It's your job and Sokka please review your lessons. Thanks guys. You were the best. I'll never forget you. Goodbye. Chie." Jin read.

Everybody, even the blind Toph cried in her letter. Yes, she may have enough temper tantrums or anything, but she was still someone so dear to them.

"She left without even saying goodbye." Katara said, looking down at the floor. "Will she ever come back?" Toph asked, "I guess not. We'll just have to follow what she wrote here. She'll live on." Zuko said, placing a hand on Toph's shoulder.

Her memories lived on. Zuko and Jin were married shortly after. Katara confessed that she loved Aang and they tied the knot soon enough. Toph found the man of her dreams who was actually the Prince of the Earth Kingdom and she soon became the Queen of the Earth Kingdom. As Sokka, the little village in the South Pole soon became a large and prosperous city, loved by many. As for Chie, well, she was back to her home country, the Pearl of the Orient. She still kept her katana and red robe and during special occasions, she never forgot to wear it.

It had become new beginnings to all of them. Some of them began their promised reigns; some had a larger city live in, some had found their true loves, and one came back to where she truly belonged.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Review please!

-TDYSG


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